


A Life With Love

by Sibamoono



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bottom Byakuya, Byakuya has a lace fetish, Byakuya is very popular, Lots of sexual tension, M/M, Renji Thinks Byakuya is cute, Renji has a Byakuya fetish, Renji is scared of being gay, very smutty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-08-30 03:49:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8517439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sibamoono/pseuds/Sibamoono
Summary: After completing his Master's Degree at Harvard University, Kuchiki Byakuya begins working  as a Head Accountant for the most prestigious organizations in the whole world. Shoten Group holds over 10,000 employees, and in their main branch, only the best of the best are accepted.Byakuya's family is one of the major shareholders of Shoten Group, and are known in town to be intimidating, cold and just. These are values that have been instilled in him for years; but they are put to test when he meets a man that is the complete opposite of himself.





	1. The Shoten Group

**Author's Note:**

> My first Fic! I really hope it's alright. It's not Beta'd so please bear with me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Boring Byakuya with a resolution to change his boring ways. He moves in with his sister and meets some interesting people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi to anyone who has been reading this fic. I actually contemplated deleting it because I was not happy with my own writing and character development, also thought it was too choppy. But i have decided to work on it again and finish it completely, so I have started with editing the first chapter and so forth. Im so sorry for changing things, but I want to make good stories and I can't if I feel as though it's not good enough for you to read! Please enjoy, the story is fundamentaly the same but I am tweaking some things as I go!
> 
> Also, I introduce Hisana as Byakuya's step mother in stead of wife. Hope it makes sense!

As the clock struck Midnight on the grandfather clock, Kuchiki Byakuya sighed deeply. A new year; another year of work, work, and more work, and nothing more.

It was his own problem, really. His close friends had gone out to Shinjuku  _Nichōme_ to party out into the new year with all the fun and the gayness, and well, he had really tried to make himself go.

But the rules; the annoying Kuchiki clan guidelines that his father had intoned in him from his conception were hard to ignore. Whenever he thought of even trying something remotely adventurous, the old voice in his head, his father, seemed to stop him in advance. Which was utterly ridiculous seeing as he was an adult, a grown man almost thirty in age. 

Byakuya sighed once more as he sipped on his A _rmand De Brignac_ that he had popped open to celebrate--what?-- his inability to fulfill his heart's desire? Yes, that would be it.

He wished he had come from humble beginnings sometimes, so he would not have to live up to ridiculous standards. He did love his father, sometimes, when he was acting like a father and not a noble clan leader. But his father had his own family now; a new wife and a daughter, and they all resided in New York.

Byakuya had been by himself since his mother had died at 12 years old. His father had tried to give him some emotional support, and failed miserably of course, because he had the emotional capacity of a Koi fish in Byakuya's honest opinion. 

He chuckled at his own joke; must be the brut bubbles getting to his head.

His father, in any case, was not in speaking terms with Byakuya after he had courageously come out of the closet to him and his supposed fiancee to be. The lady in question, Soi Feng, a Hong Kong heiress with a fortune she was willing to use to gain the prestige of the Kuchiki clan, had been absolutely livid. Byakuya's father had never been so red in the face in his life.

Recollecting the situation made him chuckle out loud. Definitely the bubbles getting to his head.

He most likely didn't believe his son, Byakuya concluded. His father thought he had said that to cry out of a marriage with a spoilt brat, but Byakuya had been nothing but truthful in his admittance. He was as gay as they came; he'd kissed a boy only once before, and from then on, he had not looked at women with attraction at all. 

The Kuchiki were always upright, 'normal' and upstanding citizens who did the noble deeds to the people, and followed the rule of law to a "T". There was absolutely no room for deviation or perversion. Byakuya did not believe he was any of those things; it had taken him some time to accept this fact, but he had arrived at a mental situation of stability and surety. He may not have experience as a gay man, but he was a gay man through and through.

He took the final sip of his champagne before calling it quits and heading to his mausoleum of a bedroom. As he slid into his sheets, he wondered how it would feel to go to sleep with someone and wake up with someone; to share his life with a loved one.

Byakuya had been alone ever since his mother had passed away. His father grew cold and unyielding, much more than he ever was. Byakuya could not even remember what loneliness DIDN"T feel like.

But he promised himself that he would change; he needed to live his life. He needed to get out of his lonely shell and find someone to love.

He knew his father was cooking up something; Byakuya's secretary had been moved to a different department that day, and movers had come in and packed up his own stuff in boxes. 

He sighed and closed his eyes; guess he would have to find out tomorrow.

\------

Rukia Kuchiki was freaking out. 

She had just gotten off the phone with her father, and the news he had shared--well, they were bittersweet.

Her brother was moving in with her. In her Manhattan apartment. In her messy and disorganized Manhattan apartment.

She squealed, excited but also scared.

Her brother--well, step-brother--was a force to be reckoned with. A man of steel, stellar self-control, the perfect specimen of a Kuchiki, was coming to stay with her for good.

In 2 days!

She jumped out of bed, her short legs pacing the expanse of her bedroom. what to do first?! Rukia was not the cleanest of people--but she did have a housekeeper, an adorable lady who cleaned her house spotless. 

She pulled out her phone and texted Yolanda, S.O.S will pay double for you to come in today or tomorrow!

That being done, she hastily dialed a second number, her mom.

"Mama."

"Rukia, darling! I take it your father told you the news?"

"Yeah. what the hell mom, you couldn't tell me sooner?"

"Honey, I only JUST found out as well! Can you believe this--" Hisana Kuchiki, Ginrei's second wife, lowered her voice on the phone "Byakuya came out to his dad yesterday!"

Rukia gasped and almost dropped the phone she was holding. She flopped onto the bed. "No way, mom you're kidding!"

"I swear it! Right in front of that girl he was betrothed to as well! You know, I knew he was fruity, that one. From the moment I saw him!"

"Alright mom, whatever. So he's coming to my apartment? why though? He could get his own place!"

"Your father wanted it to look more believable. Regular people can't afford an 8,000 square foot apartment in the center of New York city!"

"Well, I guess you're right. But mom, honestly, how am I going to live with him!? he's a clean freak and we have only ever met once, and that was at your wedding 8 years ago!"

"You'll do fine! You know, Byakuya really isn't as bad as people take him to be. He's just a misunderstood soul, is all. I love him like a son, and you will love him like a brother soon!"

They exchanged goodbyes and hung up.

Rukia's mom was a serial optimist; she never saw the bad in anyone, always the good. But Rukia trusted her mother's judgement, and sighed, hoping for the best in this situation.

 

 

\----

His step-mother came to see him off at the airport. His father was nowhere to be seen.

He was grateful for Hisana as she made an effort to get to know Byakuya; he had initially been angry about his father remarrying, but after meeting Hisana he changed his mind.

She was beautiful inside and out; she had a genuine feel, always truthful and sincere. She made him feel comfortable enough to speak of his own worries. Hell, he had even confided in his sexuality to her first, even before his father. She had helped him get the confidence to say it out loud.

He hoped Rukia was the same as her mother.

Byakuya quite loved Hisana as a friend and as a mother figure, although she was only about 20 years his senior. He would miss her.

They hugged, and she even shed a tear, and Byakuya wiped it off, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Oh, I will miss you so, my son! I must come and visit you too soon."

"That you must, mother. I will hold you to your word."

 

\------

"Morning, Renji!"

"Morning, Mr. Renji!"

"Renji boy! You son of a bitch!"

Renji waved as he walked through the hallway of the Shoten Group building. The security guards were his friends; they often had some banter going on in the morning.

But on that day, he had to rush up and get ready for his new boss coming in.

"The bitch better be my father you talkin' bout, Jimmy! Otherwise be ready to catch these hands"  he said with a huge grin on his face.

He managed to squeeze into a full elevator and hitch a ride to the 4th floor, home to the Gotei 13. 

The department was relatively new, and so was Renji's position as Junior accountant to the 6th sector. One could smell the newly painted walls, and drywall for each office set up.

Renji was happy at his job, his new promotion making the money flow even better. He had just finished paying off his student loans from his master's degree at NYU.

So, he was sitting pretty. Could afford his own place in Brooklyn but he had roommates anyway because he disliked being alone alot. Single straight man had options for the night though; he couldn't deny that he was pretty attractive and had the bad boy look on him.

Standing at 6'5, Abarai Renji was a shock of long, bicep length red hair, tawny brown eyes, a long nose and some sensual lips. His body was that of a gladiator's, 6% body fat and 230lbs of pure muscle. He spent a lot of time in the gym not because he was superficial--Renji wasn't one to care about looks much--but because he was one of those people with endless energy for life. On top of the muscle sat some intricate tiger stripe tattoos that span the length of his body, with two particularly tattooed on his forehead. Those he hid with a bandana so as not to alarm people. 

He greeted the front desk associate--chatty Rikichi--and quickly darted into his office, grabbed his notebook and ran down to the meeting room where everyone was racing to.

He was just in time as he filed in and took his respective spot at the 6th desk in the conference room.

The managing director of the department, Genryusai Yamamoto, an old geezer with a sharp tongue and even quicker mind, cleared his throat and the meeting began.

\-----

The air was thick with noise and car exhaust fumes as he wove his way through the throng of people rushing to their own jobs. It wasn't very fun, the fact that he would be doing this everyday for the rest of his life, possibly. He hated crowds, hated noise, and hated bustle.

 

So he shoved past some burly men and some loud women, glad that it was only a block down from where he had alighted from his town car, to get to the building.  
After a few more jostles, a quick dash across the street and one distinct shove, he landed haphazardly into the revolving door as it moved to let him into the building.  
"Kuchiki-sama! Welcome!" A voice called to him just as he straightened himself up and patted down his hair.

 

  
An older Japanese gentleman, one of his father's assistants, stood in the foyer of the building with a huge smile on his face and his hand extended for a handshake.  
Byakuya had met him before when he was younger, and he was pretty sure his name started with an E" but he couldn't remember well.  
They shook hands for a moment, Byakuya seemingly towering over the short, white haired man.

 

  
"I wonder if you remember me? I am Edward Rolford, your father's lawyer. It's good to see you all grown up!" He said. Byakuya managed a nod, even as the old gentleman cracked a contagious smile. Kuchiki Byakuya never smiled.

  
"Good to see you again, Edward. I daresay I do remember meeting you at my birthday dinner a few years back." He responded as they fell into step with each other. The gentleman laughed, quite pleased with the fact that he was indeed remembered by the prominent son of a dynasty that went back centuries. "Yes, I quite enjoyed your tenth birthday, my Lord. Particularly the Cirque Du Soleil show that was on display; I never thought I would ever see something so great!" He laughed again, and Byakuya concluded that he liked this small man with a very genuine laugh.

 

"Please, Mr. Rolford. You must not address me as "my lord" from now on, remember?" Byakuya mentioned as they entered the empty elevator. The man in question paled for a moment, before smiling and pressing the 4th floor button. He stepped back as the door closed and had to look up at Byakuya.

 

"Oh, yes I remember my lo- I mean, Mr. Daichi. I shall endeavor to do so."

"You may call me by my first name, Mr. Rolford. It would make it easier for me, and I daresay make my cover a lot better. Doesn't everyone call their subordinates by their first names here?" He asked evenly, his eyes fixed on the numbers above the door as they ascended. The elevator was nice, very light music with dark wood paneling and mirrors on all four walls. Definitely his father's taste.

"And in turn, you can call me Edward. If that suits you, of course."

 One of the main reasons Byakuya had agreed to work at his father's offices were the fact that there seemed to be some type of money laundering going on in the business. As a multinational firm based in the brisk business quarters of Manhattan, New York, it housed thousands of employees and executives. And any type of wrong information leaked out to the press could lead to huge nosedives in shares and the like.

 

So his father had pulled Byakuya in with a promise of allowing him to court whomever he pleases (he originally was set for an arranged marriage) on the condition that he began working in the Shoten Group's tiny auditing offices in New York. Of course Byakuya had not been happy But he had been restless and a little sympathetic to his father's cause. And it would be an opportunity to exercise his new year's resolution to not be boring. 

 

After breaking up with his betrothed and almost being disowned for it, he figured it was the least he could do for his father. And he would get to meet his step-sister whom he'd only met once at his father's wedding. Rukia was her name, and she was a young 22 year old with 'a lot of spunk' as his father had said. Byakuya harbored no ill will to her; she worked hard for Shoten group, according to the investigators he'd hired, as a Junior auditor. And she was Hisana's daughter; she should not be terrible.

 

Byakuya had worshiped his father, tried to be like him to the point where he adopted the same stern, cold demeanor, never giving away any sort of emotion and being stoic, a man of few words. He had once been called 'boring' by a classmate of his, and he had chafed at the idea very much, but after some soul searching he'd realized that it may well be true. He was boring. His only hobbies included gardening and doing calligraphy. He went to the gym often and trained in martial arts. He only 2 friends- who surprisingly were completely the opposite of himself. And he'd never dated/slept with anyone before.

 

In his mind, these were characteristics of a boring young man.

 

At 27 years old he was still a virgin, and had never gone on a real date with someone who he had actually wanted to court. And also the fact that he often referred to dating as a "courtship" often threw people off. Required dates with one's betrothed did not count in his opinion. None the less, he had come to Manhattan in order to rectify those aspects of his life; to appease his father, to get out of a betrothal and to stop being boring.

Manhattan seemed like the perfect place for that.

"Yes, that suits me well, Edward." Byakuya responded coolly, and the gentleman clapped.

"Splendid. This is your floor, my-er, Byakuya. Please follow me."

The Internal Auditing department was in the process of expansion.

 

To Byakuya, it was long overdue. Who in their right minds decided that a tiny 3 employee auditing office was enough to remotely audit 13 sectors across the world?! No wonder they were losing money. At Byakuya's orders, they had moved the tiny office to create their own floor, and hired a total of 13 junior accountants, as well as 13 senior accountants to match. Some office help for administrative work(About 6 or 7, he couldn't remember) and a few other staff if need be.

Each Senior accountant shared an office with a Junior accountant to make sure all work would be executed fairly, and with precision. At the moment, there were holes in some of the positions, about to be filled.

Edward steered Byakuya down the hall and into a reception area where a young man sat, perched happily behind the large white desk, with the sign Gotei 13 Auditors Department written in cursive along the desk. He smiled brightly as they walked in.

"Goodmorning Edward!" He was very chipper and enthusiastic. Byakuya thought it was cute; not that he would respond in such a manner, or in any case, smile in return.

"Ah, Rikichi! You look very dapper today." Edward said, smiling back at the young man. Rikichi turned his bright smile to Byakuya.

"This is Mr.Kuch- er, the new 6th division Senior Accountant, Rikichi." Edward signaled to Byakuya. Rikichi brightened at the introduction and stood, bowing slowly.

"You must be Mr. Byakuya Daichi, from Japan? I bowed- I learned that is the custom in Japan- but oh! It's a pleasure to meet you sir, we were expecting you today. I managed to get everything in your office set to your specifications- well as much as Renji would accept, of course-but yes! Mr. Daichi- can I call you Byakuya? It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm the receptionist here, and I've been working in Shoten for about 6 years, just recently got promoted to secretary a few weeks ago when the Gotei got upgraded and-"

"Yes, thank you Rikichi! I'm sure Byakuya would be happy to hear all about your promotion later, but we must get him settled and I do believe the rest of the accountants are waiting for him?" Rikichi paused for a second, taking a breath after not stopping his speech.

"The pleasure is mine, Rikichi. And may I show gratitude for the bow you gave me a few moments ago." Byakuya returned the bow with a bow of his own.

 

"Th-thank you sir! So, if you would follow me. They are all gathered in the same place, the meeting room as a matter of fact. Mr. Yamamoto just left unfortunately, so you will not meet him. But you can give a quick introduction to everyone! Right this way." They followed Rikichi down a carpeted hallway with some cubicles placed in the center.

 

On each side of the cubicles, offices that had blinds over the glass walls were situated, with large numbers drawn on the door. The 6th, Byakuya's own office was the last one down the hall before they entered the meeting room, which was full of bustling noise and raucous laughter.

Things Byakuya hated.

This did not bode well at all with him. Rikichi, still chattering on about something or the other, opened the door and held it as the two men walked in.

The noise lowered as the two walked in, and then everyone stopped talking a few seconds later. Byakuya disliked being the center of attention and scrutiny.

"Goodmorning all! You are looking well today. before you go, please take the time to welcome our newest addition to the Gotei- the 6th Division Senior Accountant, Mr. Byakuya Daichi. Byakuya, if you please, introduce yourself to the group." Edward said. Byakuya swallowed his nerves, putting on the hard mask of indifference he used in such cases.

"Good morning, as Edward mentioned, I am Daichi Byakuya. Most of you are aware that I am from Japan. I transferred here with the intention of assisting in the correction and stabilization of the funds here at Shoten. My main principle when it comes to auditing is 'Noble Reason' - which means we must be honest and just in all ways possible. As I will spearhead the budgets and supplies of the office, I hope you can take into account these various factors going forward. I look forward to working with you." He finished with a nod. 20 pairs of eyes stared him down in the ensuing silence, and Byakuya was hard pressed not to just turn and flee.

He was nervous. But he would not show it. A cough, and then a hand was raised in the air. A girl-no a woman? a very tiny, and very cute young woman with hair that was quite pink-raised her hand and spoke, in quite a youthful, almost childish voice.

"Mr. Byakuya, is that all you will say? On our day of introduction weeks ago, everyone said more stuff..." She mentioned pensively. The big, bulky man with a scowl on his face and some unruly hair spoke up with a grunt. His voice was big and quite uncouth.

"Why don'tcha tell us some'n more, eh? Byakuya, was it? Yer look so familiar. Rukia here tells us she's your brother?" He pointed at a young woman across the table, and Byakuya could tell that was Rukia, as she was the splitting image of Hisana with the big round eyes, the small stature and the jet black hair. The main difference was that where Hisana had a gentle gaze, Rukia's was sharp and challenging, almost fearless.

"Oi, that's your brother? You both got the mean look goin' on for sure." A man, seated next to Rukia with a shock of red hair spoke.

Byakuya scrutinized the guy. He sat at the sign of the "6th sector" so he guessed that this man was Renji Abarai, his jr. accountant.

His hair was a sharp, bright red that was tied tightly on his head, and the remaining hair flowed behind him like a red cloud. He wore a white headband, which was a surprise because it did not match his suit.

It had to be one of the most outrageous Business suits that Byakuya had ever seen. He wore a starch white shirt with what seemed like black tiger stripes running vertically along the shirt. The man stood up, coffee cup in hand and Byakuya could say that he was tall- at least 6 foot 5 inches- Byakuya was only 6 feet- and it was evident that he was well-built. Byakuya's eyes followed all his movements, lithe yet clumsy, but with each step he took in the direction of the coffee machine, he could see rippling muscle, a taut belly and a slim waistline that tucked into some white trousers that should have been ridiculous on anyone else; it worked on this man. Byakuya's eyes suddenly found themselves tracing each muscle line that appeared along his back, down to that slim waist again, and then as he walked, those tight pants showed some splendidly round and firm buttocks.

Holy Calligraphy, he was sexy.

This man was pure sex, and Byakuya had to fight the urge to run up and grab those buns, squeeze and knead those mounds. He had to clear his throat.

Right, there were other people in the room. He hoped his face was not flushed, or gave anything away. He had not had thoughts about another man like this in years, probably since his high school years. Dear Lord.

"Well, tell us something then?"

"What are you curious about? I shall endeavor to answer your questions."

"How old are you?" The pink haired lady-girl asked.

Byakuya cleared his throat and tried to look away as the red head sauntered back to his chair. He failed.

"I am 27 years old this year." He responded easily, noticing Edward's nervous movements. The man needed to calm down, or his cover would be blown.

"So, er- What's your, um, your-" A blonde haired man tried to speak, twiddling his thumbs nervously.

His face was covered partially by his hair and it hardly moved as he spoke.

"What Kira is trying to say is what's your deal, Bya-boy? You taking the pickle? Eat the peach? Or you do both? What's yer story?" The crazy haired, loud man with a huge scar down his face spoke again. He had a huge grin on his face. Byakuya frowned at the use of a pet name, but decided not to respond to it.

He did not, however, understand what was being said. Japanese was his native tongue and he was not good with English slang. He was unsure of whether the confusion showed on his face, or the red head was just very perceptive, because he spoke again.

"He don't get what yer saying, Kenpachi. He's foreign, remember? That slang don't work. Listen, Daichi, don't listen to him, he's an asshole." He stood again, and Byakuya watched once again as those muscles rippled beneath the tight clothing he wore.

"Let's get you settled in yer office. Nothing for it if these idiots ain't being nice." He sauntered over to where Byakuya and Edward stood, and wrapped an arm around the older Gentleman. Edward seemed to be used to this treatment. It seemed as though the interest in Byakuya faded very quickly once the big, rude man that everyone had called Kenpachi, decided to begin teasing the shy blonde man who had spoken up before.

 

Of course, Byakuya at this point was too consumed with the sudden attraction he felt for this tall, sexy redhead that was steering them out of the conference room and into the office that was marked "6", right next door.

The decor was as much Byakuya as it could ever be. Both desks were relatively close to each other, at a 90 degree angle, each a dark mahogany framed with some carvings that had kanji letters along the edges. In the center of the room was a simple lounge area with some white leather couches and a white table, and a very nice grey Japanese tea set sitting in the center of the coffee table. In the corner sat a little station with a Keurig coffee machine and a tea kettle, as well as an assortment of teas and coffees. The walls were framed with bamboo plants and artistic splashes of black paint that reminded Byakuya of one of his favorite pursuits(calligraphy).

"Welcome to the sixth, Byakuya!" Rikichi said as they walked in. The redhead grunted and turned to look at Byakuya. He had deep brown eyes, and some very full, pink lips. Also quite tan, especially compared to Byakuya's lily white skin.

"Yeah, welcome, Daichi. Name's Renji Abarai. Your junior accountant." He extended his hand with a big grin on his face. Byakuya swallowed and took it, trying to maintain the cool he had practiced for years. He could feel himself flush a little as his slim hand got engulfed by a much larger, very warm veined and very tan hand. How would it feel to have those large hands run up and down his body? To have those hands possessively stroke through his hair and grab on to his ass as they kissed?

Oh Lords of Calligraphy, have mercy. He needed to control himself; he was acting like a hormonal teenager in the middle of his own office! He cleared his throat and spoke

 

"Yes, Mr. Abarai it is a pleasure." _In more ways than one_.

"Ya can call me Renji actually. Mr. Abarai's my father, who's a damn right arsehole if yer ask me. Anyway, I look forward to working under you, sir. I heard a lot about you and was glad to be able to transfer into the 6th."

"Yes, well I hope that I meet your expectations." He turned to the onlookers, which included Rikichi, Edward and surprisingly Rukia had entered the office as well.

"Rukia, good morning" He said with a nod. Her eyes widened and she pursed her lips, paling a bit.

"Good morning, nii-sama. How was your flight in?" She asked.

"It was pleasant, at least. I am looking to get settled into the apartment this afternoon, will you be present?"

"Y-yes, Nii sama. That's if you need any help with moving!" She said. Byakuya nodded.

Byakuya also wondered what she knew about him. He decided to ask her later.

"I would be happy to have your assistance. I have a number of items, unfortunately so I hope that it will not be a problem with your own decor in the house." Byakuya said. Rukia seemed to blush at this comment, and Byakuya wondered if she was embarrassed, happy or angry? He wide eyes made it hard for him to determine her emotions. With time he would get used to it.

"Oh No! I have no worries about that. And we can also get Renji to help-"

"Wait, hold up a second, why me?" Renji interjected, but Rukia waved him off dismissively.

"-move all the heavy stuff because he's really REALLY strong." She said and the comment seemed to appease Renji for a second.

"Well, I guess I could lend a hand. I'm free today anyway, and it's a Friday. And how can I not help out my boss's little sister, eh?" He responded and then proceeded to ruffle Rukia's hair fondly. She tried to push his hand away but there was no use.

Byakuya wondered at their familiarity, and secretly hoped that there was nothing more than the camaraderie they were currently displaying. Not that he wanted Renji for himself; He literally just met the man a few minutes ago. He needed to get himself together, and snap out of this. He was Kuchiki Byakuya, for God's sake!

 

 

~~~~~

 

 

The day went by quite quickly. Before Byakuya knew it, his tour, orientation and introductions had taken up his entire work day.

 

Five o clock came quick, and he found himself huddled up in a tiny car with Rukia driving, Rikichi in the passenger seat and Renji seated right next to him, his knee touching Byakuya's because he was too tall to fit in Rukia's tiny little car.

Being in close proximity with him made it even worse. He radiated heat, like a furnace, and with it came this heady scent- a subtle, deep woodsy cologne and then an unidentifiable exotic scent that he guessed might have been Renji's shampoo. It smelled delicious.

 

"Ya don't talk much, do ya?" Renji said over the throng of music as Rikichi chirped on about something or the other. Byakuya contemplated the question, wondering if there was any underlying meaning to it. He looked at Renji's expectant face, and decided that he did not seem like the type to indulge in mental battles.

 

Byakuya liked that.

 

"Yes, I am not one to speak for very long." He said finally. Renji nodded.

"Ya don't really express yourself much, like. Ya face an' all. I'm good at reading people but for some reason I can't read you at all." Byakuya paused for a moment, searching for the right response to the statement.

 

It was true that he did not display his emotions openly; but he did have emotions. He loved as hard as any other, hated as much as any other, but he kept it inside. It was just the way he'd been brought up. Renji it seems, had no problem with expressing himself. He was open, haphazard, and nonchalant in a way that was endearing. Byakuya guessed that a man like him had a lot of friends, a lot of admirers, and he definitely was not boring at all.

 

"I have no doubt that you will come to understand me as we will be working together for some time. " Byakuya finally responded. Renji cracked a slow, sexy smile that showed his perfect teeth.

"No doubt, Indeed Byakuya! Speaking of which, don't you have a nickname? Or does everyone call you Byakuya?"

"Nick name?" Byakuya asked, unfamiliar with the term. Rukia heard his confusion and translated to Japanese for him.

"Oh, I see. Well, no...I ah, have not had one. It's terribly intimate, is it not? To have a 'nick name' as you called it?" Byakuya had not the experience of being called pet names. Unless you would count the suggestive names that his friends Yoruichi and Ukitake would tease him with(Lily or Cherry Blossom because he loved flowers).

Renji laughed, and it startled Byakuya for a moment. It had been short, loud and quite pleasant.

Dear lord, he even liked the man's laugh.

"Intimate? No, no way dude. We are talking something shorter to call you with like, outside of work and stuff. Ya know?"

"I suppose. No, I do not have one."

"Oh...well, I guess with time we can figure it out." They settled in silence after that, Byakuya in deep thought as the tiny car drove through Manhattan, from the financial district down to Midtown Manhattan.

 

They pulled into the underground garage, Byakuya's new 2015 Prius parked in the designated spot for the penthouse apartment as well.

Once they arrived in the apartment, Rukia showed them around and discussed a few decor ideas. Renji was still in awe at the size of the place, as well as the view, seeing as it had a private roof for recreation.

Byakuya set to work with setting up the living space while everyone else went about unpacking other items. He had been so preoccupied with his task that he had not noticed Renji walking in, until he turned to find the man in the process of picking something up.

And he was naked.

 

No, not completely naked. He still had his pants on, but he had no shirt on! Black stripes framed rippling bicep muscles as he flexed.

An unusual pattern of lines were settled across his shoulders and then dipped down that muscled back, pointing sharply to another set that was barely visible due to the cut of his pants. But Byakuya was sure that he had never seen anything more beautiful, primal and raw before.

It was then that he realized that he'd made a very awkward sound, and as a result his face flushed a furious red just as Renji turned around and displayed the entirety of his incredible body.

 

~~~~~

 

 

Renji dropped the box he had been carrying and turned when he heard a squeak of sorts. He found Byakuya, his boss, red in the face with wide eyes and he guessed that squeak had been from him. He sighed. He forgot the tattoos were often an issue.

 

But he didn't want to mess up his white shirt, or sweat right through it! Maybe he should have asked Rukia for a t-shirt- not that he could fit any of hers, but yeah. The squeak was what had caught him off guard.

From his first impression of Daichi Byakuya, he could tell the guy was wound up tight like an old ass clock. He showed nothing on his face, no emotions, no laughter nothing. But he was smart, a genius with numbers and Renji was excited to work with someone who was dedicated to their work and good at it.

But he also hadn't expected him to be so....cute.

 

Like, adorable in a sense that Byakuya would most likely hate to be called cute by anyone, but the fact was that he was cute. And the little surprised squeak just cemented this thought for Renji. Adorable. In a platonic sense of course; Renji was not into guys.

He had nothing against people who were. Heck, his best friend Aya was the most flaming gay in the entire world and his boyfriend Ikkaku was also as gay as they came. But none of that changed the fact that Byakuya Daichi was just darn cute.

And it made Renji want to experience this cuteness more.

"Er- sorry, I forgot that you're probably not used to seeing someone with tattoos, right? I heard in Japan tattoos are usually for gansters and shit. That true?" He took a few steps forward, and this seemed to make Byakuya a bit more frazzled than before.

His eyes traced the flow of black ink with an incredulous look.

"No-uhm, I mean yes, not many people have tattoos in Japan. They're seen as taboo because mostly Japanese mafia indulge in tattoos. What about you? Why so much?" Byakuya's hand suddenly reached up as if he was going to stroke Renji's chest- and he would have happily let him- but the other hand came up and blocked the motion. Renji looked down at Byakuya, who was tall but not as tall as he, and smiled as he noticed the shorter man worrying his lip a little, as if fighting an internal battle of sorts.

"Mostly because I wanted to. I once had a dream about this creature- you will think I'm crazy- but it was a baboon and a snake at the same time. And it had these markings on its body, so beautiful and vivid. And For some reason I could not forget this creatures markings even after 3 weeks. So I went to a tattoo artist to get it done. And here I am today! Do you like 'em?" Renji flexed a little to show off the tattoos.

Byakuya had a hungry look in his eye and Renji began to wonder if this cookie cutter cutie swung the other way? Not that it mattered because he was not gay.

"They are exquisite Renji! They remind me of my own calligraphy. I may show it to you sometime in the future when I get settled in." Renji grinned.

"Well, then it's a date!" He said, and wondered why he used that terminology.

He, however, did not regret it because he saw Byakuya Daichi's pale face grow as red as a tomato, and his eyes open as wide as the moon.

 

Byakuya, Renji concluded, was an interesting man.


	2. Crush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rukia discovers the merits of having Kuchiki Byakuya as her older brother. Byakuya is introduced to the world of reality television, and also accepts the fact that he is crushing hard on his subordinate at work, who is absolutely not even remotely interested in men.  
> Renji discovers something very interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure most people know who the Kardashians are, even if they're not into reality tv. I just thought it would funny to add reality tv connoisseur to Byakuya's introverted personality!

Rukia shuffled into the building, tailing her brother who she had just Uber pooled with to work. He looked pristine as always in a navy suit and a Yellow tie. His hair was tied back neatly, not a strand out of place, and he walked as if he was not human.

How could anyone be so....perfect? Since he had moved in, Rukia had found her life to be much more organized than it has ever been. She woke up and her work clothes were already neatly pressed for her, her shoes shined and placed by the door, breakfast and coffee set on the table and even toothpaste already placed on her toothbrush. It was scary, but it also melted her heart; Byakuya did all of this for her by himself, with no complaint or grumbling. The apartment was squeaky clean, and Rukia even took the initiative to not be so messy any more as a result. 

But it worried Rukia a lot--she realized that Byakuya had no friends or social life to speak of. In the evenings they skyped with their parents together, reporting anything of value to their father, and then joking around with their mother. After that, Byakuya would fix them a sumptuous dinner in his frilly hot pink apron and they would enjoy a glass of wine together as they indulged in meaningless television--Rukia was into reality tv and loved "Keeping Up with the Kardashians"-- and Byakuya also became a fan of the show. They never missed an episode. In fact, Rukia had gifted him with all of the past seasons so he could start from the beginning, and thus Kuchiki Byakuya got introduced to binge-watching television, a millennial past-time of her own.

Rukia was starting to love her brother very much; she had respected him before, but since getting to know him better, she realized her mother had been right. Her nii-sama was a sweet soul underneath all that Kuchiki seasoning and coldness and distance. 

They entered the elevator together. 

"Rukia, I would like to let you know that I have completed the previous seasons of the show we watch together."

"Oh, you did? What do you think?"

"I think with the fame and the increase in money, the family seemed to have less important issues to address over time. Don't you think? And well, their brother dating his sister's boyfriend's former girlfriend gave me quite a headache!"

"Yeah, that whole Blac Chyna thing was crazy! You have to watch their show, she's pretty intense."

"So, the brother and....er, Chyna you say...also have a show?"

"Yeah they did for a bit before--" she was cut off when the elevator doors slid open and Genryusai Yamamoto walked in, his stern gaze on both of them.

"Just the two I wanted to speak with. Great." The elevator door slid closed, and Genryusai pressed the 'stop' button. 

"Goodmorning, sir." Rukia spoke first. He nodded.

"The Kuchikis. I hear you have managed to catch a number of discrepancies in the accounting. Very quick and I commend your work. Your father was right about your abilities. 

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, we close the chapter on the eleventh, twelfth, first and second, let's move on to the third, fourth and fifth, as well as thirteenth. These may take some time and travel because the sectors are just switching from analog to digital. It will be more challenging for you."

"Sir, if I may interject, would you mind providing us with full access to all of their files, both analog and digital?"

"You have access to everything, Kuchiki. I'll send Edward with a master key for each sector and you do not need permission from any of the seniors. My guess that the culprit is in one of these sectors, I can feel it in my gut. Now get to work."

He pressed the button and stepped out of the elevator.

Rukia heaved a sigh of relief as the elevator started to move upwards to their floor. "Whe did he have to lock us in here? Geeze."

"It seems our work just got a lot more interesting, Rukia." Byakuya responded, and the elevator chimed onto their floor.

 

\-----

Aside from their thorough investigations into the past ledgers, there was nothing interesting going on in Byakuya's life.

It was, granted, a lot less boring with Rukia around. She was quirky, made of steel, and a great companion when she was around. Rukia had also introduced Byakuya to a world of reality television, following the lives of some interesting characters. His most recent favorite was the Real Housewives series which was beyond ridiculous to him, but also entertaining. He also managed to learn slang terms through these shows, which helped him alot.

But aside from that, he was still leading a boring life. Rukia had even asked him on numerous occasions to go out with her, but he had been adamant and refused. He had no idea how to conduct himself in social, party-like situations.

And so he slid back into his routine of work, work and more work, except with one fundamental difference:

At work, he had the privilege of working with Abarai Renji.

Byakuya had a crush. There was no other way to explain the butterflies he felt in his tummy whenever Renji called him by his name. Or the way that he always watched Renji in the morning, waiting for the deep sigh he produced after his first sip of coffee. Or whenever Byakuya asks for help on the computer, he would come around and lean over behind him, taking the mouse in his hand and guiding it to whatever the issue was. The way his hot body pressed gently against Byakuya's back, and his hair brushed forward, the tendrils caressing his face and that domineering scent that permeated off him and oozed sex appeal.

It was those times that Byakuya was sure that he was very close to either having a heart attack, or possibly embarrass himself by turning ever so slightly and burying his face in Renji's neck.

Byakuya was not happy with this discovery, for sure. It was interfering with his productivity a lot.

 

Add to the fact that Renji was not inclined to participate in non-platonic activities with people of his same sex. So Byakuya did not have a chance at all with him. His best friend Yoruichi had specifically advised him not to crush or fall in love with a straight man. But, well there he was crushing hard.

How had it come to this? He watched Renji with every chance he could get, and made sure to tag along if ever Renji came around to hang with his sister.

Over A month had passed since their first encounter, and Byakuya was so sure that his infatuation grew every second of the day that he was around Renji. Actually,  even when he was not around his mind always wandered back to the red haired sex pot automatically.

He sighed heavily and scratched his inky black hair that was tied up in his usual tight bun, with not a single hair astray. Which reminded him, he also needed a haircut; it had been 4 months since he'd cut it and it was already shoulder length. Byakuya liked to have his hair a little longer than most, just below his jawline, but no more. His face just did not suit the short hair.

He just hadn't found a hairdresser that he trusted, yet.

Byakuya looked up at Renji.

"Renji"

The man in question looked up from his work.

 

"What's up?" 

"Do you have any recommendations for a hair stylist? I'm thinking of getting a haircut."

Renji grinned.

"Really? Like cutting it really short? the long hair looks cute on you though." He finished with a lazy grin across his face.

 

Byakuya cleared his throat and blushed furiously, sure that his face was as red as a beet. That was another thing; Byakuya was the master of schooling his reactions, but with Renji even the smallest thing got him blushing like a baby in the summer heat.

"Well, I will take that as a compliment. I only wish to have the ends trimmed, it's longer than usual." 

"Oh, well I just do it myself actually. No big deal, if you want I can swing by later today to cut it for you."

"They're actually fumigation the house today, we have an unfortunate nest of cockroaches. We have to stay away for a few hours."

"Oh, that's cool. That's  New York for ya, it's either roaches or rats. Or bedbugs but those are definitely the worst fucking thing you could ever have. I'll take you to my apartment. we can go right after work if you don't mind? Grab some food and chill out with some beer? Unless you already have plans for the weekend or something since it is friday and all." Renji said very nonchalantly and waited for Byakuya's response.

The man in question was preening at the thought of being able to see Renji in his natural habitat. His heart was just about ready to give out with excitement. 

Truthfully, he was also unsure of whether he could control his reactions especially under the influence. He was violently infatuated with the man; 

But he did need a haircut. And he had resolved to not be boring anymore. So he thought, what the hell. 

"That sounds alright to me. I do not have any prior engagements."

 "Sweet boss! I have my baby out back, so we can head out pretty quickly." Renji responded.

Byakuya nodded and returned to his task at hand, although he did not know what Renji meant by his "baby", but he did not ask.

 

\--------

 

Renji's "baby" turned out to be a large black motorcycle that Byakuya had only ever seen from a distance.

Renji strutted proudly around the machine, describing it's characteristics and that it was a classic Harley Davidson Wide Glide.

Byakuya could only swallow and pale at the thought of him-Lord Kuchiki- EVER riding this rebellious American Contraption! Absolutely inappropriate.

But not boring.

And his goal had been to not be boring anymore. So naturally, it would be in his best interest to join his subordinate on a motorcycle.

And said subordinate looked mighty fine as he straddled the bike, those thick thigh muscles flexing with every movement.

 Lords have mercy.

"C'mere so I can strap you up" Renji said , and Byakuya's cheeks grew hot with embarrassment as his mind flew to various images Renji strapping him up in a very interesting way.

Focus, Byakuya! 

He cleared his throat 

"So, you want me to join you on that contraption?" Byakuya asked, his question coming out quite haughtily as he stood with his arms crossed. He looked petulant and Renji gave a bark of laughter as he dismounted and stepped to his boss.

Renji placed a very pink scooter helmet on Byakuya's  head as he spoke.

"Yes, you will join me on that Contraption, Byakuya. And make sure you hold on to me as tight as you can. Alright? it's not too far from my apartment in Brooklyn and the bike gets you there pretty quickly; you will get to meet my best friend, whose helmet you are now wearing." Renji finished as he finished up with the straps under Byakuya's chin.

"So, not your girlfriend, then?" Byakuya asked, pointing at the pinkness of his helmet.

Renji chuckled and his hand went up to gently push a stray strand of hair back underneath the helmet.

"No. No girlfriend for me. I'm single"

 

\------

His boss was so fucking cute.

He was absolutely adorable.

And Renji was 100 percent sure that his boss had a major crush on him.

And he finally admitted that he was digging the attention. Like maybe he could . ..honestly be alright with fucking his boss, you know? Experimenting with his sexuality. Nothing serious. People in the office fucked around all the time! Like the Kenpachi up in the eleventh was messing around with Retsu Unohana in the fourth, which was a shocker to him because Unohana was so....nice? And Kenpachi was a total asshole. Loved to rile people up. He was a borderline psychopath. 

Back to the topic at hand, Renji was just not into men. At all.

He had tried that with another man who had picked him up at the LGBTQ club he went to often, but he hadn't been able to get it up. Had ended up as one of the most awkward hook-ups of his life. 

No, it had to be something in particular about Byakuya that made him so drawn to him.

The way those stormy Grey eyes followed him as he strutted across the office or sprawled on the couch during breaks. Renji was no exhibitionist, but he did enjoy the way Byakuya looked at him.

Renji had to admit that he was, at times, doing it on purpose just to see that pale beautiful face flush with color whenever he was close.

Just as it was doing at that moment.

"Oh, well sorry to hear that."

"No biggie. You can be my 'girlfriend' instead." He teased, and it was totally unfair, he knew that, to be stringing his boss on like that but he couldn't help but want to see that cute blush on those cheeks.

Eyes widened and face reddened again, and Renji had to suppress the chuckle that was forming in his chest.

"Sorry, force of habit you know? The flirting--hope you don't mind." 

Renji turned, missing the slight disappointed look that flitted across Byakuya's face before becoming a blank mask of indifference once again.

 

They mounted the bike, Byakuya hesitantly placing his arms around Renji's waist, but as they wove through traffic, Renji felt him relax and even place his head in the crook of Renji's neck.

Cute. 

They zoomed out of the Financial District and 35 minutes later they arrived in Brooklyn, and Renji's apartment was in a complex that had been renovated from being an old factory. The neighborhood was in the process of gentrification, driving the rent even higher(to Renji's chagrin) and filling up with millenials. Renji missed his old bodegas and the rude old ladies who threw him an insult early morning; they were forced to move down to Kenarsie because they couldn't afford the rent. The hipster coffee shops and restaurants popping up made it even worse, and Renji, a man who looked like a pure gang banger, stood out like a sore thumb among the posh new crowd.

Clad in some black jeans and a white shirt, he still looked a lot like a gangster with his tattoos visible, it was a common thought that people got from him. And the fact that he was so tall and muscular scared a lot of people. On top of that, his shock of red hair was the topping on the cake. An Irish mafia thug.

He also stuck out like a sore thumb in the corporate world and it had been hard to find a job even with his stellar credentials, a 3.9 GPA from New York University.

The tattoos and the hair and the height was not what one would expect from an accountant. 

But he had gotten lucky with Shoten Group; they hired people based on ability and looks did not matter . He had started out as a trainee under Kenpachi (Which he had surprisingly survived and learned quite a bit) before shooting up to be the Junior Accountant with Byakuya Daichi. 

And he'did never met a more work-driven person. Byakuya Daichi was a force to be reckoned with. He was no nonsense, straight to the point and always ready to take action when the outcomes and situations had been thoroughly considered. He was ruthless and so stoic that people in the other divisions became scared shit-less because of him.

Add to the fact that he was absolutely stunning, beautiful, meant that a few brave men and women had tried to get with him and had only received a great shocker of a rebuttal. 

'If you have time to waste on daydreaming that you and I could ever, in a million years, court, then you must be really low on tasks.' And then proceed to provide a number of tasks for them.

And thus the nickname 'ice princess' was born in the Gotei. 

Renji admired Byakuya's ability to be that objective; he was often quite the opposite and he began to strive for that type of objectivity. 

But what people didn't know about Byakuya was he was quite kind; gentle to the people he cared for, like Rukia. Renji had never seen a more awkward pair of siblings interacting, but at the same time caring for each other. He knew they had not really spent much time with each other previously, but they seemed to really like each other in a strange, awkward kind of way.

Rukia always demure in her conversations with her brother and constantly calling him 'nii-sama' with this wide eyed look of adoration. And then Byakuya talking in a low soothing tone that he never used on anyone.

They were both cute. 

And fuck him, he wanted to see more of this cuteness.

Particularly from Byakuya.

Renji pulled into an empty spot and shut the engine off.

Byakuya unfurled from Renji's back with a sigh and they both dismounted 

"What you think about my contraption?" Renji asked as he began to remove the straps from Byakuya's helmet.

"Well, it was....interesting, to say the least." 

"Good! First time on a bike, huh? Next time I'll take you out to my favorite Lil street where I like to ride. Getcha up to 100miles an hour on my chopper!"

I'll have to decline that invitation." Byakuya mentioned and Renji laughed at the way he pouted a little.

Fucking cute. God.

 

They made their way up into his apartment building, his in particular being on the 3rd floor.

"Not sure if I told you but I have a roommate by the way. His name is Yumichika but everyone calls him Yumi.  I have to warn you, he's reeealllly touchy feely and gay as fuck. He means well though. And you'll probably meet his boyfriend." 

Byakuya nodded, and Renji noted a flicker of emotion before he assumed the blank stare again. Maybe nervous? Curious?

Renji was getting really good at reading him.

\------

Renji's apartment was surprisingly clean and well organized. It was dark, with hard wood flooring and a high ceilings as a testament to the previous use of the building as a storage unit. The lighting was low, deep and quite sensual and it absolutely reeked of Renji's Cologne and that spicy scent that Byakuya could never identify.

The furniture was a deep burgundy, with a bar in one corner and a lounge area in the other, along a large window that overlooked the city. Beside the window was a hallway that led to bedrooms, he guessed. A large set of windows overlooked the street and down into a passing river or bay, he wasn't sure.

Sat in the lounge area were two people who seemed to be watching television and cuddling.

One of them, a young man with flamboyant clothing (he wore some very distressed white jeans and a long flowery top, and his face was well decorated with make up that could have been outrageous but looked spectacular on him) stood and screeched when he noticed they were there. He wore a bob of black hair, fashioned with some colorful extensions.

That must have been the person that Renji had said was 'gay as fuck'.

The second person was a bald man, also young but so somber in comparison to the flamboyant man.

"Renji, darling! you're back. And you brought a friend? Who is she?" Yumichika said as he quickly headed to where they stood.

Byakuya paled at being called a girl, pursed his lips. Sure, he had a slender frame and almost feminine features- but he was far from a 'she'. Renji coughed.

"HE is Byakuya Daichi; my boss I told you about?" 

"Oh yes, so sorry Byakuya. Renji only brings girls back ever-"

"HEY!"

"So I thought you were a girl too! Anyway, welcome to our loft. Make yourself at home. Renji has told me all about you, and I can't wait to be friends! Come and meet my boyfriend. He's not as nice or as good looking as me, though." 

Byakuya found himself being dragged by the hand through the entire apartment after meeting Ikkaku- or Ike as he was called. Yumichika was quite the opposite of Byakuya's unabashed introvertnedness; Yumi was the unabashed extrovert with a penchant for getting side tracked in everything he is trying to say.

Byakuya found it endearing to say the least, and began to grow fond of Renji's best friend. After the tour of the apartment, the group settled by the bar and Ikkaku, the designated barman, poured the drinks for everyone to indulge as they continued some basic small talk. Yumi was genuinely interested in Byakuya, and he in turn was interested in the young man--a hair and makeup artist to the stars. His most recent client had been Kim Kardashian when she had come to New York, and Byakuya was hard pressed to suppress his glee at meeting someone who had personally laid hands on his favorite Kardashian sister.

Later on as it got darker and the sun set, they settled down in the living room as Renji went down to their usual Chinese place. 

Ike brought out more alcohol and they talked even more as they waited for the food. Renji popped back up and they decided for a movie once dinner was done and cleared off.

They sat and watched "The Purge: Election Day" which would have been a great movie had Renji been able to shut up.

But Byakuya didn't mind. He'd never really done stuff like this; hung out at home with friends. Sure, Yoruichi and Ukitake often came to visit him but they loved going out and being adventurous; cuddles on the couch was not really their thing.

Byakuya found himself getting so comfortable that he curled up on the couch next to his subordinate, with a cozy blanket over himself, sipping his wine as he watched the movie, the lull of Renji's non-stop commentary ruining the plot for everyone. Ike would throw something to him, telling him to shut up, which only worked for a few minutes before he began questioning the possibility of everything in the film.

Midway through, he somehow found himself sitting with his legs resting over Renji's thigh and his head resting on that muscled shoulder as they shared the expanse of the couch and the blanket. Renji's arm had wound around his shoulder and his other hand rested on Byakuya's thigh, squeezing gently. 

He was hard pressed to just turn his head and burying his face in Renji's neck again and feel the heat radiating off him. And the urge was strong, he actually gave in and did what he wanted to do. Renji smelled delicious and was ridiculously warm; he nuzzled the neck, feeling the prickle of stubble along his neck. 

He was tipsy, and Renji squeezing his thigh was very distracting.

"Hey" Renji said, turning to look down at Byakuya, who in turn looked up, hoping to God that Renji would not tell him to stop and get his hands off. 

Their faces were so close together and Byakuya could feel the light puff of breath against his lips. So tempting to just reach up and take those full pink lips into his mouth. Renji licked his lips, inching a little closer as Byakuya responded.

"Yes?"

"You wanna go out with us? I know you came here to get a haircut-" He said as his hand snaked up Byakuya's neck and then into the hair. He pulled the hair tie off and Byakuya's hair flowed downwards.

"But we had promised to meet Rukia at this place we go to. She's introducing us to some guy. I bet you're curious about her tastes right? Cos I sure as hell am. You'll come?"

Renji's long deft fingers were suddenly buried in his silky black hair, kneading gently and rhythmically; it felt amazing and Byakuya's eyes flitted closed as those fingers stroked his hair.

Byakuya moaned suggestively before realizing what was happening.

"Oh, you like that?" Renji asked, and continued the gentle assault on his scalp. Once again, he felt the hot blush creep up onto his face with embarrassment. What was he doing?!

His scalp was sensitive. And Renji was not helping the situation. And add to the fact that he was still so close, his lips barely a touching Byakuya's own. And the 3 glasses of red wine that he had consumed was keeping him in a haze

"I'll join you. But I have nothing to wear." Byakuya said. He was still in his work suit, having discarded the jacket and shoes a while back.

"We can grab some clothes from Yumi. You guys are both so tiny so you'll fit his clothes." 

Byakuya huffed, his eyes narrowing as they stared up at the tawny ones so close to him.

"I am not tiny! I'm six feet tall." He said petulantly and Renji chuckled at that.

"you're like 100lbs. I can literally carry you around like it's nothing." He said, and laughed when Byakuya swatted him playfully on his chest.

"You're so fucking cute, you know that?" Renji said, and they were so close together, his hand still caressing Byakuya's scalp in a way that was quite sensual.

"First you call me tiny, and then cute! Really, Renji. I'm not any of those things."

Renji didn't respond, as his eyes fluttered closed for a second only to open up and stare at Byakuya's lips.

His heart started to pound as the hand on Byakuya's thigh changed from a light squeeze to a gentle stroke, moving a little higher each time.

Then suddenly they were kissing, Renji's mouth descending eagerly on those soft pink lips. The kiss started out gentle and slow, but then Byakuya moaned gently again, and Renji's tongue delved in, stroking Byakuya's mouth fervently.

He was a passionate kisser; a good kisser! Byakuya felt as though he was being devoured, eaten. 

And the taste of Renji was intoxicating. He tasted like man, beer and that heady spice that was particularly Renji's scent- it wasn't shampoo, he'd concluded, after he'd sniffed Renji's shampoo when he'd used the bathroom.

Byakuya's tongue joined in, dancing with Renji's as desire sparked and flooded his whole body. He wanted Renji so bad. He'd never wanted a person so much before.

And he had not expected Renji to want him back.

But then again, they were both tipsy and maybe Renji was the type to make out with anyone when he drank. Byakuya would never hold it against him, but it would definitely hurt.

On the bright side, he had gotten to experience one of the most earth shattering kisses he'd ever had.

Renji tilted his head in order to gain better access to Byakuya's mouth, but was interrupted by Ike's sudden burst of laughter.

The two reluctantly parted and Byakuya closed his eyes, resting his forehead against Renji's shoulder.

"Fuck." Renji said, and Byakuya found himself agreeing to the statement completely.

 

\----

"Bro, you just made out with a guy." Ike said once Yumi and Byakuya were out of earshot, picking out some clothing for Byakuya

"I did. Fuck."

"You liked it."

"Of fucking course I did. He's fucking sexy."

"You wanna bang?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. Like, the kiss was nice but I don't know if I can get it up for a dude. You know? " Renji huffed, dramatically laying back on the couch.

Ike cooked an eyebrow.

"As a matter of fact, I don't know. I can get it up for both." He smirked. "But it wouldn't hurt to try right? Byakuya is fucking sexy, as you said. And it's pretty obvious that he's feelin' you so hard. Tag that ass, bro. Before someone else swoops in to take it. He's a catch. And it's easy to tell he's super into you." Ike said.

Renji rolled his eyes at his friend. 

 But he was right. Renji had been thinking about how cute Byakuya was and then that evening they'd somehow ended up cuddling up on his couch.

He smelled amazing, a soft flower scent permeating off his body with every puff of breath. And he tasted delicious.

He licked his lips and wondered at whether the rest of his body tasted just as good.

Fuck.

He felt himself hardening at the thought of being able to lick up and down that lithe, slender body. Renji had an oral fixation; and Byakuya was the target of his mouth.

Ok, so clearly he could get it up for Byakuya. But the question was if he was willing to take the step into uncharted territory.

Renji had always thought himself straight as an arrow. Even with all the people in his circle identifying on all parts of the spectrum, he'd never had an inkling towards men.

Until Byakuya Daichi , of course.

And speaking of the devil, Yumi emerged from his room with Byakuya in tow.

And bloody hell, Byakuya looked so fucking cute. 

He'd borrowed a pair of black skinny jeans that framed those narrow hips and long legs like a second skin. He wore a fitting black t-shirt that had a unicorn mid jump on the front. His hair hung loose and he looked like a teenager.

Renji's mouth went dry as Byakuya sauntered over, taking a seat next to Renji.

"Yumi does not own any shirts that are not crop tops. Except for this one." He pointed at the unicorn. 

Renji laughed, his arm circling Byakuya's shoulders again.

"No surprise there. Would have liked to see you in a crop top though." Renji said and winked. Byakuya blushed and looked away.

"Keep on dreaming." He mumbled. Renjis hand- which seemed to just do everything on its own, snaked down and laid against Byakuya's waist, and he gave into the urge to place his mouth on the side of Byakuya's neck.

And bite gently then lick the skin. Tasted delicious.

Fuck, he was getting a hard on. 

"Alright you two, let's head over. The über is waiting outside." Ike said as Yumi was dragging him outside.

Renji paused for a second as Byakuya turned to look at him, his face flushed and absolutely adorable with the wide eyes.

He dipped for a kiss, and Byakuya's low, throaty moan was enough to get him hard as a rock.

He was screwed.


	3. Dance Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji is ready to get busy with Byakuya, but things don't go as smoothly as planned.  
> Rukia introduces her new beau to her friends and her brother, and it is extremely awkward. She notices something going on between Renji and her brother, and gets worried.  
> Their investigation into the third and the fifth division proves fruitful, and dangerous.

The bar they went to was called Shikai, and it featured a bar area and a dance club attached. The crew preferred the bar area, so they could chat and laugh and enjoy drinking, but if they were lit enough, they sauntered to the dance area.

They made their way to the bar, and Renji held Byakuyas hand as they wove through the throng of people. It just felt natural.

They spotted Rukia stood at the bar, chatting with an orange haired young man. Hmm.

"Rukia!" Renji called out. Yumi and Ike joined them at the bar, Byakuya and Rukia caught sight of each other, and Renji chuckled when Rukia's eyes widened with surprise.

"Nii-sama!" She exclaimed, and the orange haired young gentleman seemed taken aback at Rukias brother's presence. Rukia's face was a light shade of pink, and she lumbered over to give Byakuya a big hug. "I'm so glad you're here! You didn't answer your phone and I was worried when you weren't home!" She said, almost sobbing. 

Byakuya's face registered everything, his usual mask of stoic indifference seeming to fail because he was mildly drunk (Yumi had convinced them to chug a good amount of Grey Goose in the über on the way here). Renji fought the urge to chuckle

"Rukia, my apologies. I must have forgotten it at the office. I won't worry you like that once more." He was clearly making effort to be his usual self but his face was pleasantly flushed and his lips were pink and swollen up from the make-out session they'd had a few moments before. Rukia grinned, still hugging her brother tightly.

So fucking cute.

"Y-Yes Nii-Sama. I didn't know you were coming, but I'm glad you're here! Wait- you can meet my, er--uhm, friend- His name's Ichigo."

She turned to the man in question, who smiled awkwardly and extended his hand to Byakuya. 

"Pleasure. Rukia has told me all about you, sir."

Renji grinned, enjoying the exchange and Byakuya's clear discomfort in the situation. 

"Yes, a pleasure, what was your name again?" Byakuya asked, and Ichigo blushed, reintroduced himself. 

"You know, in Japanese "Ichigo" means strawberry." Byakuya said matter-of factly as he ran a hand through his locks. The move had been quite sensual, but misplaced by the conversation taking place. Renji was laughing quite hard at the whole thing, and Rukia had finally disengaged from the hug, and instead took to gripping her nii-sama's other hand that wasn't intertwined with Renji's.

"Y-yeah, I have been told, sir."

"No need for the formalities, strawberry. Just call me Byakuya. We are in the USA after all, the land of informal language." He waved the hand attached to Rukia dismissively.

Moments later, their drinks arrived and the whole painful conversation between Byakuya and Ichigo was halted mainly due to the fact that Renji had steered Byakuya to his own seat and commandeered him all to himself.

 

"so, what do you think of Ichigo?" He asked Byakuya, who shrugged.

"To be completely honest with you, Renji, my mind has not registered the entire conversation  I had with that young man."

Renji barked with laughter at the response.

"Really, I should not have indulged in that so called "chugging" that Yumichika subjected us to in the taxi."

"Welcome to New York, baby!"

"Do you know, Renji that this is my first time at a dance club. Ever."

"Are you fucking serious?!? What, there's no nightclubs in Japan?"

"No, trust me there are plenty to spare. Due to my family rules, I was not allowed to enter them. So I am breaking this rule for the first time in my life."

"Holy shit! Alright, well since it's your first, you have to indulge me. Come on!"

 

Byakuya nodded and they headed out to the other section of the club. The club was dark, with various lights flashing around. 

Shikai was an LGBTQIA club, and a very popular one in Brooklyn. Byakuya had been mildly surprised when they'd described the place to him, and asked Renji if he was comfortable in such a place.

To which Yumi laughed and said that it was all of their favorite spot. Renji didnt care for the fact; sure, a lot of guys hit on him there. He had once tried to have sex with a guy (just to be sure) and that had ended on a awkward note.

The club had been where they'd met Rukia; she had been so plastered and some creepy ass Fucker had tried to take her home. Her friends, Rikichi and a few others had lost her in the throng.

Yumichika had been so angry. Renji had been really surprised to see his best friend beat the shit out of this big burly man. They'd taken Rukia to their loft, Renji giving up his bed for her.

They had been friends ever since.

They found a spot on the dance floor, Renji pulling Byakuya close to him. He placed his hands on the shorter man's hips,  pulling him in so close that they were flush against each other.

They danced like this for a while, bodies pressed up against each other. Byakuya's scent was heady and it swirled around them like a cloud. Renji was drunk; that was real, but he could still register every movement, every sigh, every little nuance of drunk Byakuya.

He was so easy to read when drunk.

Renji gave into the urge to take those lips again, sliding his tongue in to devour that sweetness that was Byakuya. The tequila from his drink was a prominent taste, but Renji liked it. 

Byakuya's free hand slid down his back, stopping on his ass, which he gave a nice squeeze that made Renji moan. 

Fuck, he was getting hard again. Byakuya was moaning again, a little sensual huff accompanied by the deep rumble of his voice. Renji was so turned on by the sounds.

He needed to take them back to his loft.

How he wanted to see Byakuya spread out on his king size bed, black hair framing that beautiful face.

He broke their kiss for a second and Renji placed his lips against Byakuya's ear; 

"Wanna go back to my place?" He asked. Byakuya moaned again, and Renji swore he was going to come if he heard that sound again.

They wove their way back into the bar area where Ike and Yumi were making out right next to an awkward Ichigo and Rukia. 

"We're gonna head back now, guys." Renji said as Byakuya finished off his drink. 

Rukia looked up, surprise etched on her face as she noticed Renji's hand on Byakuya's hip. She glared at Renji for a second.

"Thanks for coming out! Be safe! Text us when you get there alright. Take care of my brother, Renji." She said, the last words ringing in his ears as a threat.

 "I will, Rukia!" He turned to Ichigo. "I have all your personal information, bro. Don't make me have to find you." 

Ichigo paled at the threat. But he nodded in understanding.

Ikkaku and Yumi broke apart, and decided to leave with Renji and Byakuya.

\-----

He was going to do it.

He was going to have sex; no longer be a virgin. 

And with the sexiest man he'd ever met.

It had to be too good to be true.

He was nervous and also kind of drunk, but heat was pooling low in his belly at the thought of being able to explore the expanse of Renji Abarai's body.

They exited the club, pausing to bask in the cool night air. 

His hair was sweaty, sticking to the nape of his neck but he didn't care. Renji's arm had been laying on his hip throughout the night and it felt good.

"Renji!" A voice from behind them called. Renji turned, and Byakuya followed suit.

Yumichika, who was right beside them, cursed and frowned angrily as someone approached. 

A woman appeared.

She was short and stunning. Her green hair shone bright in the lighting, brown eyes twinkling with pleasure as she jogged towards them.

She had a lithe frame, somewhat muscular in build and it was obvious due to the tight black dress and heels she wore.

"Fucking Great!" Ikkaku said, crossing his arms across his chest. Renji frowned at his friends and Byakuya wondered what this meant.

"Renji, I knew it was you!" She said and launched herself into him, making Byakuya step out of Renji's embrace.

"Kuna" Renji said, his voice cracking a little as he spoke. Byakuya had never heard that tone from him.

"I'm so glad I saw you! I ran out of the club to see you."

"Ah, yeah...when did you get back?" Renji asked awkwardly as Kuna slid off him. Byakuya watched their body language, the way Kuna pressed a hand to Renji's chest and looked up at him with those bignore brown eyes. 

And Renji didn't stop this, even either Byakuya standing right next to him.

Well, what did he expect? Renji was not gay. He knew this; he also knew that most likely Renji had been kissing him all night because he was drunk.

He knew all of this, yet he still felt hurt. 

The woman fisted his shirt and pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear. Byakuya had never seen Renji blush; until that moment.

He felt sick.

He'd been such a fool.

Renji could never be with him.

"Kuna. Hey. Good to see you again." Yumi pitched in, grabbing Renji's arm and stepping between them. Kuna frowned.

"Yumichika. You haven't changed at all, I see! And Ike, looking good there!" She turned to Byakuya.  "And I don't think I've met you before?" 

Byakuya swallowed, trying to look as indifferent as possible, but failing because he felt the bitter sting of rejection and shame from his assumptions.

But before he could respond, Renji cut in.

"Just a colleague, he's not important, don't worry about him. Let's talk for a second!" He took Kuna by the arm and led her away.

Byakuya was reeling from the statement that Renji had made.

'He's not important' he'd said. Just a colleague.

It was like having a bucket of cold water dumped over him. He sobered up real quickly.

Yumichika came up to him, took his hand and squeezed.

"Hey, I'm sure he didn't mean it that way!" He said, and Ikkaku cursed long and loud.

"What a fucking idiot!" 

"You wanna head back to the loft with us? We have an extra room." Yumi asked.

Byakuya shook his head. "Do you have any more of that vodka? I could sure use a good drink. You're welcome to join me at my place. I can have my driver drop you off later." Byakuya said as he took his phone out and rang for his town car.

"Yeah, Yumi and I will come with you. Leave that asshole here."

 

\-----

"What do you want?" Renji asked, mildly ticked off and a little unsure of the whole situation.

"Can we start over, Renji? I miss you." Kuna said, her big Brown eyes enchanting in the moonlight.

Shit, that was not what he was expecting. 

"That's strange, considering you was the one that dumped me. And moved ta Fucken Germany!" He said. He was angry. She had the nerve to just so easily walk back into his life, when he had begged and pleaded to stay in hers.

"I'm here to stay. i- I couldn't live there, Renji. Not without you." She said and stepped closer to him. Renji's mind flooded with fond memories of their time together; he'd loved her to death. They were together for 5 years; Renji had even popped the question to her.

And then the next day she decided to break up with him and move to Germany because she wanted  a new life. And Renji had begged her, pleaded with her to stay, or he would quit everything and move with her.

But she had mentioned that she'd met someone online who she wanted to be with in Germany. 

That had been a low blow. it had taken Renji a whole year before he could even go out and hook up with other people or even just mingle. Because he'd always waited for Kuna, his first and only love. 

But he hadn't expected to meet her after 2 years, when he was finally beginning to move on.

WHEN he finally met someone that kindled his interest- Byakuya.

Fuck.

He'd said something stupid to Byakuya in his haze of panic; said he was not important.

He rubbed his face, suddenly tired. What an ass.

But then he knew that he still loved Kuna. 

But then Byakuya was there, all cute and sexy.

But he wasn't gay; what if it was just a phase? He wouldn't want to hurt Byakuya and make it awkward for them at work if that was the case. He wasn't looking for a relationship with a man.

"Look, you can't just waltz in here as if nothing fucking happened and expect me to take you back! What if I was already with someone? And what makes you think that I would take you back?"

Kuna smiled that big dorky smile that he loved and Renji's heart skipped a beat.

"Because I love you, Renji. I know you still love me. Please, let me make it up to you, I was a total asshat for leaving you right after our engagement. But I want that with you; I do."

Renji sighed. He couldn't lie and say he wasn't tempted by the offer.

"I'll think about it." He said and Kuna jumped into his arms again, planting soft kisses on his face.

She smelled good, like warm cookies and cinnamon.

But she didn't smell as good as Byakuya.

The thought alarmed him as he remembered that Byakuya was watching the whole thing so he disengaged from the embrace, said his goodbyes and turned back his friends.

Who, he found out as he went back to where they were before, had left without him.

Great.

He pulled his cellphone out his pocket and dialed "Wifey" on his phone.

"You're a fucking asshole, you know that?" Yumichika,s  voice was shrill, high-pitched. His angry tone.

"Is he with you? Back at the loft?"

"Do you think he's that stupid? of course not. You think he would be waiting on your bed for you after saying he's not important?!?"

"Fuck! I said that, didn't I. I'm an idiot."

"For real. He's shit faced now, and Ikkaku is over here trying to make him drink water."

"You at the loft?"

"No, we are at his house in-"

"Is that Renji on the phone?" A muffled voice asked, and the line went silent for a moment before another voice popped in.

"Renji, I told you to take care of my brother! And this is what you do! I swear I'm going to kill you when I see you next."

"Rukia-"

"You'd better bring your ass here tomorrow morning with some flowers- He loves lilies- some breakfast and a shit ton of coffee, you hear me?" 

Renji swallowed. Yes, damage control should be done in the morning. He honestly didn't want to botch the whole cute Byakuya thing he'd got going on.

He cursed himself for being an idiot and made his way back home.

 

\-----

"Ruiiicchhhiii~~" The voice on the phone rung out in a whiney tone, a tone she hadn't heard for years. Shit. Something was wrong.

"Bya-boo. What's the matter?" She stepped off her bench and sat down, signalling at the man by his own bench to come sit by her. she put the phone on speaker.

"Ruuuu~~" The voice took on a whiney tone.

"Are you drunk?" Kisuke asked, his voice concerned as they shared a look.

"Kiss~~~ I miss you guys--hic--so much~~"

"Bya--kun, what's the matter? Who did something to our baby?"

"Remember the three rules you told me about New York?"

"Yes, number one, always have cash on you, number two, don't look the crackheads in the eye and three don't fall for a straight guy. What about it?"

"Well, I broke one of them."

"Noooo. Not number 3!?" Kisuke said.

"Yes, Number 3"

"Fucking hell, Bya-boo. Spill the details from the beginning."

 

\------

Renji's mood was not the best. It was Saturday Morning and he'd woken up with a raging boner, had looked up some of his usual porn (female on female, or pov, the usual boring shit) but for some reason he couldn't get off. 

And so he'd seen one of those ad banners, a slender guy with black hair being drilled hard by another dude and fuck, he came hard and fast as he pictured himself doing those things to Byakuya.

Which had made him even more horny, and coupled with a hangover, the morning was not off to a good start.

But he'd jumped in the shower and got dressed, headed out to do some damage control and maybe, just maybe, get a couple of those delicious Byakuya kisses again. 

He picked up some Starbucks, some breakfast to go and stopped by a flower shop to get some lilies before he rode his way down to Midtown.

Ichigo answered the door for him. Rukia was sitting at the breakfast table looking adorably disheveled in a pink robe. Obviously they'd hit it off really well. 

"Rooks'. Hey." Renji said, grinning guiltily. She narrowed her eyes at him and huffed.

"Youd better go see him, Nii-sama is still asleep. And Renji I swear to God, that's my brother and do not mess with his feelings. " She said and he nodded.

Byakuya's room was all white, of course, including all of his bedding  so the white contrasted quite pleasantly with the black of his hair.

Renji inched over to where he lay, his body covered partially with the duvet and the silly unicorn shirt still covering his body.

He looked like an angel, young and beautiful. So immaculate and ethereal as the sunlight streaming through the white curtain illuminated his face.

Renji set everything down on the stand and knelt by his bed, running a hand through those silky locks and then leaning to place soft kisses on those pink lips.

Even in the morning he tasted delicious.

Byakuya's eyes flitted open and focused on Renji.

"Tell me I'm not dreaming." He said huskily, his voice a breathy whisper that made Renji's gut wrench with sudden desire.

"You're not dreaming, beautiful. I'm here." Renji said. Byakuya huffed.

"Prove it." He said, and Renji grinned as he ducked his head, pressing in for a gentle warm and slow kiss. 

Arms wound around Renji's neck as he was pulled into the bed and on top of Byakuya. 

They kissed each other thoroughly, slowly and tenderly as ever. Byakuya's hands running up and down Renji's body and then settling on his ass once again, kneading the flesh like he always wanted to.

Fuck, he was sexy. Renji felt himself get uncomfortably hard in his jeans, and he broke off the kiss to trail more kisses down Byakuya's cheeks and onto that slender neck.

Renji licked, sucked and bit down on the sensitive skin, making him moan loudly. Byakuya in turn, pulled out Renji's hair tie and headband so that long tendrils of red hair formed a canopy.

Renji grinned, and sucked on a collarbone, biting again and eliciting a series of broken moans.

Renji was painfully hard; the comforter was in the way so he hastily shoved at it to the floor, which made Byakuya smile softly.

He was taken aback.

That was the first time he'd seen Byakuya openly smile. 

 And fuck him if he wanted to see more of it.

"Hey, beautiful. I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean it in that way. Kuna is-"

Byakuya lay a finger on his lips.

"I understand.  Ike told me all about it last night. I'm alright."

"Good." 

Renji dipped for another kiss, but was stopped.

"I have to put this on hold for a moment because I am sure I will be sick." Byakuya said and Renji watched, amused, as he stumbled to the adjoining bathroom.

\------

He was quite embarrassed. 

 Byakuya had been quite drunk last night. 

And had overreacted on something so trivial. Was it trivial? They weren't in a relationship or anything.

He just really, really, really liked Renji.

He was kind & gentle with him, always smiling, got along so well with everyone. 

The total opposite of Byakuya. 

He was also really smart, competent and willing to learn when it came to work. He had no issues keeping up with his high performance level of work.

Finishing up with brushing his teeth, Byakuya quickly rinsed his face and ran some fingers in his hair.

Renji was sober this morning, and he was glad to have the experience of being woken up with sweet kisses. 

Truthfully , he hadn't expected Renji to show up that morning, especially after meeting the woman who was, on all accounts, the love of his life.

And then to be kissed senseless by said man? Well, he sure as hell wasn't complaining. 

But he was nervous; did this mean they were dating ? Or would it be a purely physical thing. Byakuya would be fine with either option. As long as Renji was in his life.

Taking a deep breath and running a wet hand through his hair, he headed back into the room.

Renji was sprawled on his bed, those long Jean clad legs spread out. He wore a flamboyant button down shirt that should have looked ridiculous but this was Renji; he looked good in anything.

He did not have his headband on, the tattoos highly visible on his forehead. Byakuya liked to see them.

"C'mere gorgeous" Renji said and patted the spot beside him where his arm lay.

Byakuya blushed- would he ever get used to Renji's teasing? 

He obliged, though, and lay down beside Renji albeit awkwardly. 

The taller man pulled him in closer, cuddling up gently.

"Brought you some tea and a huge ass bagel with cream cheese. Have some." He reached over for the packages, and Byakuya noticed the lilies and smiled.

"Are those for me?" He picked them up and dipped his nose in them. He loved lilies.

Renji nuzzled his lover's ear. "Of course. You like 'em?" 

"Thank you Renji. No one has ever bought me flowers before." He said almost morosely. Renji lifted his head to look down at Byakuya quizzically.

"I don't believe it! You're so fucking gorgeous though. Are you shitting  me right now? Like, none of your exes have ever gotten you flowers?!"

"It's true. I've not really...I've never dated before Renji."

"Oh. Wow. Ok. Fuck."

"Is...is that a good reaction or bad one?" Byakuya asked cautiously, his heart skipping a beat. Renji laughed.

"No definitely not bad. Just really fucking cute. God! Do you have any idea how adorable you are?!?"

Byakuya blushed again.

"I am not cute! You are mistaken."

"Hmmm. So that means you never been on dates and shit like that?" Renji asked. Byakuya shook his head.

"I have not."

"OK, well that's a game changer. How about this....we can count last night as our first date, if that's OK with you though."

Byakuya paused for a second; so did this mean that he and Renji were officially going into a courtship?!? he'd said 'first' so that would imply that there would be several others after that. 

So were they courting?

Renji's laughter made him realize that he had asked the question out loud and he turned in embarrassment, hiding against the shoulder that cradled him.

"Yes, baby. We are "courting". And I wanna take you on a date soon." 

Byakuya was glad to be hiding his face, otherwise Renji would have seen the huge smile that graced his face at that moment.

\-----

"Sosuke, I think they're on to us." The voice on the other end of the phone call said angrily. Sosuke Aizen sighed.

"Yes, I noticed it. The Daichi boy and the Abarai; someone gave them access to the files."

"It has to be Yamamoto. No one else has a masterkey."

"You're right. We need to do something about this. They have already ousted our operatives in the eleventh. And the first and second. They can't destroy our plans."

"Yes. I have to find out more about these two. And Ichimaru~"

"Yes, Sosuke."

"Let's begin phase 1 on Monday. That will confuse them a little bit."


	4. Date Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji takes Byakuya out for their first date, and things start to get serious.

He needed to make a decision soon.

Renji wasn't the type to be two-timing people and he didn't want to start. 

Sure, he still had feelings for Kuna. Sure, he had proposed to her, had been ready to spend the rest of his life with her. She was beautiful, a bright ray of light with the same amount of energy he brought to life.

But God damn it, he was also REALLY attracted to Byakuya. 

 Kuna had already text him that morning, asking to meet, and Renji had agreed. 

He needed to decide and soon.

Renji grinned sheepishly as Byakuya appeared in the living room, dressed nice in a pair of jeans and a white button down shirt- He really liked white, eh? - and stood up to greet him.

He'd showered and he smelled delicious as usual, Renji noted when he moved to wrap his arms around Byakuya's waist.

"You look good. Ready?" Renji asked and Byakuya nodded, reaching in for a kiss.

Renji obliged him, gently taking Byakuya's lips in a soft, slow kiss. 

"Come on, then! Show me this studio of yours." Renji said, and Byakuya took his hand. 

 -----

Renji had not expected Byakuya's studio to be his garage.

But it was.

The light was turned on and it illuminated the room, a long ass table set up against the wall with some trays and brushes laid carefully on the shelves above the table.

"Whoa. It's legit in here, huh?" 

"Not really. I mostly do work for acquaintances." 

"How about friends? Also, do you just do calligraphy or can you draw?" 

"I have been known to paint other things. I do not feel confident in myself. But, there is one thing I have been itching to paint-"

"What?" Renji asked, stepping closer to a now blushing Byakuya. He turned his face away.

Renji grinned, somehow being able to interpret Byakuya's words and actions easily. He was getting the hang of it.

"Me, right? My tattoos? You like the black ink on my skin, do ya?"

Byakuya's face grew heated once more.

"Well, baby I'm all yours!" Renji gladly stripped off his flamboyant shirt, tossing it over the chair.

"Where do you want me?" 

Byakuya pointed to the setee in the corner, and Renji sat, stretching out like a big cat and then placing his arms under his head.

"This good?" He asked. Byakuya nodded and set to work with setting up his canvas and paints.

Renji watched him as he performed his task.

Byakuya was a man of few words.

He only ever said what he needed to say, and sometimes even less.

During work hours he was often cryptic but direct at the same time-which was weird to Renji at first- and it provided a unique impact on whoever was subject to the message.

In short, he scared the shit out of people. Especially since he was spearheading the whole money laundering thing.

Renji had a few ideas on who could be stealing the money.

Soi Fon in the 2nd division gave him the heebie jeebies first of all. Like, she always was watching people and always had information. 

And then there was Sr. Accountant Ukitake who was also fucking weird. Renji could never really read the guy-him and his partner, Kyoraku  were a bunch of fools who pretended to be stupid but Renji knew not to cross them.

They'd been working for the Shoten for about 15 years each.

But although those three were on his list of potential thieves, the number one and two on his hitlist were Sosuke Aizen of the 5th division, and Ichimaru Gin in the 3rd.

The two of them were just straight up fucking creepy, like Renji never ever wanted to speak with them, so he would send poor Sentaro, an office assistant, to do any correspondence with either one.

Especially fucking Gin. That dude was the worst; it was obvious from the way his Jr. Accountant acted; always twitchy   and jumpy with every small thing.

And that fucking creepy ass smile that Gin always had on his face.

What a fucking wierdo. 

"Hey" Renji said, just as Byakuya sat behind the easel he had set up.

"Yes?"

"Who's your prime suspect for the money thing? Got any leads yet?"

Byakuya paused, placing his paint tray on a small table beside him.

"Well, I have been speculating, and there are a few questionable people in the Gotei. Take Kyoraku for example; it would be likely that he has the most connections considering he has been in the Shoten for so long. But then again, there's others who could possibly be. What do you think?"

"I got my money on either Gin Ichimaru or Sosuke Aizen."

"Really? Why do you think so?"

"I don't know. Going by my gut feeling, ya know?"

Byakuya paused, thinking for a moment. He then nodded.

"I will take this into consideration, Renji. Thank you." 

"It's my pleasure, baby."

Byakuya flushed at  the pet name, it seemed he was still not used to him.

"Alright, lay back and sit still. I'm not an expert so you have to sit still. Which I know is almost impossible for you."

"Heh, I'll try. Only if you come over and give me a lil kiss from time to time. Deal?"

"Deal."

\-------

Fuck.

Okay, so who knew that a disheveled Byakuya could be this sexy.

He had splotches of paint all over his face. His always immaculate bun had fallen apart, his hair framing that beautiful chiseled face. he had rolled up his sleeves and his starch white shirt was also stained with black ink.

Renji could just kiss him senseless.

Add to the fact that Byakuya's gaze was just so hot; each stroke of paint meant another scorching glare, running up and down Renji's body each time.

He was painfully hard as a result, and the little passionate Kisses that Byakuya had been giving him the past hour were making it worse.

He groaned and Byakuya turned to him.

"Almost done, Renji I promise."

"Fine. Hurry up though." He grumbled, trying to stretch out a bit more, especially since his jeans were so tight against his throbbing cock.

Fuck.

"Alright. Done." He said and Renji bolted upwards quickly, turning to view the painting.

It was done in water colors, a vision of brown, black stripes and red hair.

Renji was sure he'd never seven anything so beautiful.

"It's how I first saw you, Renji. A vision of vivid colors in a dark world." 

Renji loved it.

Fuck, he was starting to love Byakuya too.

And that scared the shit out of him.

\------

Byakuya watched Renji's eyes widen in amazement as he studied the painting. He was not sure that it was a good reaction or not.

That is, until Renji spoke.

"Holy shit, it's beautiful. This me? Wow. You're so talented, Byakuya. I love it." Renji turned to Byakuya, taking him in his arms and giving him a kiss.

Renjis kisses where always passionate- Byakuya always felt as though he was being devoured, eaten alive and well, he liked it a lot.

He wrapped his arms around his lover's shoulders, enjoying the feel of his hot, taut flesh as he slid his hands along his shoulders and the down to those pecs; so well defined, he mused as he took the nipples in his fingers and rolled them.

Renji shuddered and groaned, his hands sliding down Byakuya's back to rest on his ass cheeks.

He squeezed and Byakuya made a keen sound in his throat, pressing closer to Renji as his arousal grew.

Renji broke the kiss and trailed open mouth kisses down his cheek and then settled on his ear lobe.

Which he took in his mouth and sucked on.

And oh, holy cow, Byakuya was sure he would pass out. His ears were very sensitive and Renji bit at them gently; Byakuya's knees weakened considerably and he made a squeaking noise.

"You like that, huh?" Renji said as he kneaded Byakuya's ass gently.

Byakuya swallowed another moan as those treacherous lips trailed even further down  his neck.

Renji's teeth sank into the flesh there and Byakuya let out another surprised moan, bucking into Renji's thigh for any type of friction.

"I wanna eat you up, baby. You're so fucking sexy, my God!" Renji said. 

Byakuya blushed, reaching up to pull Renji's hair from the top knot.

Crimson locks wrapped around the two of them, and Byakuya had the utmost urge to see all of Renji with no stitch of clothing on his body. 

So he reached down and unbuttoned Renji's pants, sliding them down those thick muscular thighs. 

And gasped, delighted to see that 1. Renji Abarai did not wear underwear and 2. that his tattoos went all the way down to his knees. 

And 3. That Renji was big everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

"Oh my" was the first thing that came out of his mouth as a result of number 3. 

Renji laughed. 

"Ill take that as a compliment? Now, Come here." 

They stumbled back onto the settee, Byakuya straddling a very naked Renji as they divested of the remainder of Byakuya's clothing.

In the dim light, the contrast between each other's skin was drastic- the pale ethereal whiteness versus the sun-kissed tan of Renji's body. And those glorious tattoos.

Byakuya used both his mouth and his hands to trace each streak and line, licking, sucking and biting as Renji writhed beneath him.

Once all of Byakuya's clothes were removed, they slid up against each other, the hot friction between both their cocks making them groan in unison as they frotted desperately against each other, kissing sloppily with each thrust.

Byakuya was already there, on the precipice ready to fall and descend into the depths of sheer pleasure with the man beside him. he wanted to feel free, to soar in the clouds like he'd never done before. And only by the he hands of this beautiful creature, a potent man with a power over Byakuya that nobody else had ever held.

It was mind numbing pleasure as Renji's finger slid into the cleft of his ass and stroked gently at the center of his being. And just as a long finger gently penetrated, the white heat of pleasure ripped through Byakuya's body and he arched his back, coming wildly with low raspy moans echoing through the garage. His whole body burned with pleasure, joy, satisfaction as the liquid sputtered onto Renji's body.

Seconds later he could feel Renji's body jerk and then more wetness between them, the animalistic growl that Renji had released ringing loudly in his ears.

They kissed again. Slowly, sated, and gentle. Renji's tongue invaded Byakuya's mouth in the same way that finger had before, and he could feel desire pool in his belly again.

He could never, ever get enough of this man.


	5. Complicated Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji is confused & Byakuya is doubtful of Renji's feelings, and asks for advice from his albeit useless pair of friends. Byakuya runs into an unexpected childhood "friend"

It had been four days since their "encounter" and Byakuya was feeling very uneasy.

Sure, at work they were all business, never spoke about personal matters, and Byakuya liked that.

But outside of work, Renji hadn't called or texted him.

Byakuya had even been brave enough to send Renji a text, asking if he wanted to hang out again, to which Renji's response had been 'sure, babe, maybe some time later.' 

And Byakuya had typed at least 10 responses to that message,

'When later?'

'How about tomorrow?'

'You need to fucking come over and spend time with me'

'Why are you avoiding me?'

And so on, but he ended up saving each one as a draft, too cowardly to send anything.

And so the days went by, Thursday turned into Friday, and Friday turned into Saturday 

And Byakuya sat sighing heavily at the kitchen table as Ichigo dolled some pancakes on his plate.

The young man, unfortunately was here to stay. Byakuya didn't HATE the guy, but as his sister was a dazzling young lady,  he just thought that she could do ALOOOOOTTT better than the orange haired youth.

"Nii-Sama, you've been sighing like that all morning. What's wrong?" Rukia asked just as Ichigo stacked more pancakes on her plate. Since when was he allowed to cook in Byakuya's house? And why was he wearing Byakuya's favorite pink apron that he used for baking?!? 

He frowned deeply.

"You're wearing my apron, Kurosaki. I urge you to be cautious about utilizing my personal items when you are frequenting my house." Byakuya said snootily. Rukia giggled, and his commanding voice didn't really work as well as it used to.

Had he gone soft?

"Chill, bro. I know it's yours. just borrowedon't it. Gonna throw it in the wash once I'm done. Thought it was Rukias at first but she told me it was yours-- you low key flaming, Byakuya?" Ichigo said.

"Ichigo!! Shut up ! How can you ask my brother that?" She smacked him on his arm and turned to her brother, switching to Japanese like they usually did to share information with each other. "Forgive his impertinence, Nii-sama .  He's an idiot."

"What did he mean? low key flaming? I have no knowledge of the term." Byakuya said pensively as he dug into his pancakes.

Which, he noted, were delicious.

Rukia it seemed, was holding in laughter for some reason.  

He would have to ask Yoruichi and Kisuke when they arrived.

Which, if he was correct, right at that moment. he could hear the back dour slide open gently, and knew that most likely Kisuke had used his wily skills to enter illegally and for no reason whatsoever.

"Bya-booo!" The Husky voice of his childhood friend floated in and the other two occupants of the dining table were caught Unawares, as Ichigo grabbed a pan and panicked. 

"Who's there?!?" He yelled.

The intruders rounded the corner and appeared in all their strangeness.

Shihouin Yoruichi was a beautiful black woman of Japanese origin; a little ironic, but her family was of the noble breed and nobody dared question her skin tone. 

And she was absolutely stunning, with curves that could kill, long (purple) hair and those sharp tawny eyes that picked everything up with a single glance. She usually wore practical clothing, so Byakuya was quite surprised to see her in a pair of short shorts, a cowboy hat and a plaid button down that was tied right below her pert breasts, showing off the six pack she worked on daily. she also had on some cowboy boots.

Stood beside her was an equally, if not more strange person. Kisuke Urahara, you could say, was the devil incarnate. Byakuya never understood him, even when they were young, but they'd become fast friends because they both enjoyed being extremely logical. The difference was that Kisuke's logic was on a whole other level than Byakuya's.

He always wore this striped hat that Byakuya hated, and he walked around with a cane when he could totally walk.And then his clothes, horrible as always. He loved those Hawaiian style shirts and cargo shorts and flip flops. He'd grown his blonde hair out underneath his hat and he looked like he would smell pretty gross if you were close to him.

But Byakuya learned that those were just mechanisms he used to disguise his smartness and ability to interpret things well.

They were his friends, his only two friends (well, three if you counted Yumichika who had stuck to him like glue since "that" night).

"Your worst nightmare kid! And why are you wearing MY Bya-boo's apron?" Yoruichi said, pointing at a shocked Ichigo. She turned to Byakuya. "Wait, is this him? The man who made our Bya-boo crush so hard? Cos if he is, I am Sorely disappointed in you."

Byakuya frowned, stuffing a piece of pancake into his mouth just as Kisuke cornered him, hovering over Byakuya like a hawk.

"T-That's my boyfriend" Rukia said, startled but with a defiant look on her face. Yoruichi laughed just as Kisuke's arms closed around Byakuya and lifted him into a bear hug.

"I missed you, sweetcheeks! Now what's this about you cheating on me with another man?" 

"Oh, you must be baby sister! Rukia, the tiny Spunky one. Ooh she's cute! Bya-boo can I have her?"

"Please, Rukia and Ichigo. Do excuse me as I remove these miscreants-"

"Whoa, Yor', he called us miscreants! Must have really missed us!"

"Yo, bro. Your friends are crazy." Ichigo said and Byakuya noted that it was the first time he'd ever agreed with whatever the young man had to say .

 

\-------

 "you've been holding out on us, Boo. I had to hire an investigator just to see what's going on with you!" Yoruichi said. Byakuya was not in the least bit surprised by the comment; Yoruichi was ridiculously nosey and so overprotective of her friends.

So Byakuya was worried about what Yoruichi would do if she heard about the whole Renji ignoring him thing.

"You didn't answer any of our calls, sweetcheeks, and it's been 2 months since you moved here." Kisuke said as he wound an arm around Byakuya, settling it against his waist as they sat in the living  room.

Kisuke and Yoruichi were in some kind of weird relationship that Byakuya never tried to understand. Kisuke was a HUGE flirt, and liked to treat Byakuya like one would a significant other. And for some strange reason, Yoruichi really liked that?

Not to mention they had tried to get him to do a threesome  with him, but Byakuya had been a huge stuck up at that time. Not that he would do it; after all his 'becoming not-boring' soul searching, he was up to a lot more exploration.

"I have been preoccupied with the work-"

"And trying to fuck your secretary-"

"He's not my secretary!"

"Sweetcheeks, I'd never peg you for the power play type. That what you into?" 

Byakuya huffed. 

"No for real, so are we going to meet this guy? I heard he's reeealllly sexy. Like tall, Crazy red hair and fucking ripped." Yoruichi said.

Kisuke laughed.

"I see a pattern here!! Sweetcheeks has a type!" He said, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Byakuya's cheek. Byakuya shrugged, his face turning a light shade of pink, knowing which way the conversation was going.

Why did he even have such obnoxious friends? they were the total opposite of himself. 

 "Remember Grimmjow Jaegarjaquez? In High school?"

Byakuya groaned.

"Dude with the blue hair! Ripped as fuck. Byakuya had moon eyes over him for months! And they'd even almost fucke-"

Yoruichi paused just as Kisuke cleared his throat and Byakuya's eyes narrowed.

How had they known about that? 

"You knew. How?"

"Um, well. Grimm kind of...told us?"

Byakuya had just turned 18, realized that he was preeeetttyyyy gay, and also realized how much his seat mate in History was pretty easy on the eyes.

Grimm was so popular among the ladies at his school, and was known to date a new girl every day.

Byakuya on the other hand, had been a lanky, pretty-faced introvert who hardly ever spoke unless it was to his two obnoxious best friends who were sitting close to them.

And Byakuya's first love had been this young 18 year old, with killer abs and the bluest hair and eyes one could ever have seen.

And he was so cocky, Captain of the doctor team. Byakuya was secretly obsessed with him.

And at some point, Grimm had realized it. Started trying to talk to an unresponsive Byakuya at any opportunity.

It was a month later when Byakuya started to warm up to him, during their graduation.

Grimm had come up to him and asked him to coffee. Byakuya had been shocked, and had recruited Kisuke  (who had tried to play their he jealousy card) and Yoruichi to coach him into the whole dating thing. How to act? How to not be a stone figure and show SOME emotion?

And then Byakuya was off in his tightest jeans and a T-shirt he'd borrowed from Yoruichi, which was a little on the fitting side.

Getting there, Grimm looked utterly delicious in a form fitting v-neck tee and some ripped jeans.

He'd stood when Byakuya arrived and indicated to sit.

It took some time for Byakuya to get out of earshot word answers and soon Byakuya was even laughing at Grimm's silly jokes.

They'd talked for HOURS and Grimm asked Byakuya to accompany him to his house, which was close by. Byakuya agreed, of course.

It had been awkward to say the least. Grimm's parents weren't home, and they chilled on the living room couch with some tea, watching some Batman movie or other. 

And then suddenly they were making out really Really hard, and Grimm's hands were all over Byakuya and Byakuya's hands were all over Grimm's and damn if it hadn't been his first kiss, and it had been phenomenal.

And they'd gotten each other naked and they were both hard and ready to get to the next level but then the sound of the garage door opening freaked them out and they quickly grabbed all of their clothes and ran back into Grimm's room and got dressed.

His parents had arrived. So Byakuya decided to leave, Grimm giving him a long, heated kiss before promising to call him again for another date.

And Byakuya had been on top of the world; waited and waited and waited for his call. But it never came.

 

"Grimm told us! We ran into him the next day, he was really into you, you know? Said he was really looking to date you. Don't know what happened to him after."

Byakuya had always blamed himself for everything that happened, like maybe he hadn't been attractive enough, or he'd been too shy?

But he moved on, of course. Buried the memory of Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez in the back of his mind.

"Anyway, so what's the story between you and this new guy? Red head?"

Byakuya sighed. No point in keeping secrets with the two.

"I don't know. He's straight, Yoru. Never thought of courting a male, ever."

"Until you."

"I feel as though I guilted him into courtship. We went out on a date and all, and we.....well we, got intimate last week.But this week he hasn't really spoke to me on a personal level? We haven't met up or talked. I tried to text him but he didn't really respond well to it. I just don't know what to do- maybe I pressured him into it? As my subordinate, maybe he felt pressured to reciprocate? I don't know."

"So, wait hold up, Boo. You said "intimate"? Did he pop your cherry?" Yoruichi asked. Byakuya blushed and shook his head.

"Oh, damn ok. So no full on intercourse. That sucks. You were close to your goal."

"I'd be happy to be of assistance, sweetcheeks , you know that right? My body is all yours." Kisuke said, squeezing Byakuya's waist suggestively.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes, but she smiled.

"Yes, but alas I am still a 27 year old virgin." Byakuya said. Kisuke snorted.

"You have plenty of time. It's a marathon, not a sprint."

"Says the guy who lost his virginity at 13!" 

"Whatever. Hey, Boo. I think you should talk to him, like be direct! If he says he doesn't like you, we can move on! There's plenty of sexy ass men here, it's New York! Plus, there's no need to hide the fact that you are gay as fuck. Dick Suckers Club, New YORK Chapter is open for business!" Yoruichi said and Kisuke laughed uproariously. Byakuya managed a chuckle.

\-------

 Byakuya spent the rest of his afternoon entertaining the various shenanigans of Yoruichi and Urahara in various department stores. They had gone down into Manhattan since Yoruichi was hard pressed to get some expensive American clothing, and Urahara just tagged along because he wanted to torment Byakuya for all the months he hadn't been able to.

And well, he'd missed his friends dearly. They were everything that he wasnt; loud, boisterous, extroverts who did not care about what anyone thought of them. Byakuya wished he could be like that, but as the Kuchiki heir, he was not won't to get into any inappropriate shenanigans.

Which was exactly what he had been doing with Renji, honestly. But he found that he was not overly concerned if the Kuchiki elders found out; the worst they could do was kick him off the heirdom, right?

And then who would take over? Byakuya's cousins were mostly(if not all) spoilt and incompetent fools who wasted most of their time spending copious amounts of money instead of working. No, none of them would be candidates.

So that would leave Rukia. She would be a fantastic Kuchiki heir. But because she was only half Japanese(her biological father was from Tokyo), and did not have the Kuchiki blood, there would be huge protests.

Bu Byakuya knew that she would do wonderful things as the heir.

As he followed a very excited Yoruichi through the busy throng of women in the Victoria's Secret store, he began to wonder what he was doing with his life amidst the copious amounts of lace and pink things.

Kisuke had met this very familiar woman with a prominent pair of breasts, and they seemed to be having a very strong conversation. Why did she look so familiar? Not to mention, the man stood next to her...tall, with a tattoo and scars on his face....

They were from the Gotei! The tattooed one was...what's his name? Renji had always said that he and Byakuya resembled each other a lot. Hisagi!

And the woman had to me Rangiku Matsumoto. Who, according to Yumichika, was a 'downright flirt' but never 'backs up her talk'. Yumichika, for some odd reason, did not hold Rangiku in high regard.

Hisagi noticed Byakuya and nodded; Byakuya did the same. He had no intention of speaking with them at all.

"Who's the hottie?" Yoruichi asked, at his elbow. Byakuya shrugged.

"Colleagues."

"Huh. The tall dude looks like you if you were a thug." She said. Byakuya grunted, denying the fact.

"No he does not."

"Whatever. Hey, you want something from here? They have some really cute shit. I'll get you somethings. As my housewarming gift."

"You're normally supposed to get something related to the house. And no, what would I do with women's underwear?"

"They have briefs, you know? Like boyshorts. You can wear those. Besides, whose going to know? Not like you're getting any these days" she said and snorted at her own joke. Byakuya chose to ignore the jibe.

"Well, I will never wear them."

"Whatever, boo. I'll pick out some good stuff and you can throw them to the back of your closet, alright? Indulge me?"

"When have I not?!" Byakuya responded, more to himself as Yoruichi continued browsing and Kisuke seemed to be gravitating closer and closer to Rangiku's breasts.

They entered into the "PINK" Clothing area, and Byakuya was pleasantly surprised with how much he liked the aesthetic of the store, with various sporty type clothing, lounge-wear, tons of bras and tons of panties all over the place. A lady came over to chat with Yoruichi, and Byakuya took the time to watch a few young men partaking in the clothing around.

Honestly, he'd always been curious(and a little jealous) of gay men who could easily come in to shop in such places without a female companion. To shop for themselves. Because honestly, Byakuya loved pink.

It was his guilty pleasure. He had a single pair of hot pink briefs that he never wore because he was way too self conscious. He was sure someone like Yumichika could pull it off with no shame whatsoever.

Maybe that was why he liked Yumi so much; he was the external manifestation of the internal Byakuya. 

Nobody(except Yoruichi and Kisuke of course, because they were like hound dogs when they suspected something) knew about this side of him, wanting to wear cute stuff sometimes.

He thought he was weird. Until he'd come to New York and found that a lot of men were into that style.

Not that he would ever walk around in a pink bodysuit and leggings like Yumi did the other day(in which he looked absolutely amazing; Ikkaku had been VERY happy with the look). He was the Kuchiki, after all! His father's influence was all over the world, and if he heard that his prized possession, his heir was traipsing around in pink sweatpants that said "PINK" on the ass, then all hell would definitely break loose.

It was something, which, unfortunately, he would have to live with. He was fine with his skinnies and pressed white shirts. Maybe once in a while he would rock a vintage tee, but mostly that was his style.

\----------

 Matsumoto, it seemed, was really interested in Yoruichi.

The moment the two met, Kisuke was put on the back burner as the two women shared stories and laughed ahead of them. 

They took the subway back down to Queens, Matsumoto and Hisagi parting ways with them on the way there. 

Matsumoto had invited them out; apparently the brutish, loud and rude man called Kenpachi was having a "massive banger" and gave them the address. 

It was a costume party, Hisagi had said. So they would have to come in a costume.

Byakuya had politely declined the offer, but of course, his friends were more than happy to attend, and Yoruichi said that Byakuya would come too, whether he wished to or not.

And so they stopped at a costume shop & a liquor store before heading back to Byakuya's.

\------

It was already fucking wild. Renji was perched on a bar stool by the bar in Zaraki Kenpachi's huge ass mansion.

Renji had been here a number of times when he was working under the Kenpachi; the parties were always wild as fuck and he always had a great ass time.

But today the alcohol wasn't doing much for him.

He was an outright asshole. Renji had spent majority of his week hanging with Kuna. Going to movies and playing games and shit. 

And he'd ignored Byakuya.

Honestly, he liked to spend time with Kuna and all, but it took him till this afternoon to realize that the spark was gone. He felt...platonic love towards her, and nothing else.

He felt bad, but at the same time, he was fine with it. His heart moved on.

He just needed enough time and courage to tell her this.

"Oy, Abarai. Stop being a mopey ass dick and drink. Fucking chug some shit, bro! We'really here to get wasted." The orange haired dick wad that was dating Rukia said, already pretty sloshedarn.

"Fuck off." Renji said and took the shot Ichigo offered him. "What are you supposed to be anyway?" He pointed at Ichigo's costume, which looked like a deflated strawler rye because he was slumped over in his chair.

"Me and Rukia came as strawberries. You mad? Your costume sucks anyway. A shirtless samurai? So fucking original, bro." He guffawed, and took a sip of his drink. "You know HE'S coming, right? And there's a new guy whos been looking real chummy with him recently. So you need to step your game up, bro." Ichigo stood up and headed off to where Rukia was dancing with a very flustered Hinamori.

 Renji sighed. So Byakuya was coming. FUCK.

He missed the man. Missed kissing him, teasing him and making him get all flustered and cute. Missed admiring that lithe, slim body and those deep, imperceptible eyes.  

Thinking about that day they'd shared together, after fucking-well, humping each other- they'd cuddled naked, bodies sensually aware and softly caressing each other.

Then they'd gone up and showered together, and jerked each other off.

Then spent the rest of the evening cuddled up on the couch watching movies and making out.

It had been one of the best dates he'd ever had. And fuck him if he wanted many, many more of those. 

Renji downed the second shot that Ichigo had left for him and stood up, deciding to go to where Yumichika and Ikkaku were making out.

Just then, he noticed the group of 3 walk in, a man, a woman (who was fucking gorgeous in a catwoman suit) and a tall figure in- was that even a costume? 

Renji could recognize Byakuya even if he had a garbage bag over his head. 

He looked like a fucking god. He had on a toga- a sheer white piece of cloth that wound tightly around his body, twisting into a knot over his shoulder and then cascading down his naked back.

The floodlights of the party seemed to illuminate his beauty, the way his hair flown down to his creamy white shoulders, his face haughty and sharp, absolutely beautiful and  framed with a golden crown of leaves. His arms were adorned with gold bands that wound all the way down to his wrist.

Renji licked his lips, fighting the urge to sink his teeth in the creamy white expanse of skin that was being shown. He felt his mouth water and his groin tighten at the thought.

"Damn. He looks hot. You do that?" Ike said to Yumi.

"No. It must be his friend whose visiting. Shihouin- the girl in the catsuit."

"Well, she's hot too. Wow."

Renji watched as the dude right next to Byakuya moved in closer, his face concealed by anow ugly hat. He pressed his lips to Byakuya's cheek and his hand slid down Byakuya's back.

The deep, green feel of jealousy surfaced as he watched the whole thing, Byakuya seemingly unfazed by the whole thing. 

He sighed. No stalking. Do not be stalkerish. Act normal.

"They're heading this way!" Yumi said and began to wave frantically. Renji frowned, took a breath and smiled, pretending to be alright when he was nervous.

\-------

Byakuya spotted Renji the moment they'd walked into the huge gardens full of drunk people. His hair was like a beacon in the floodlights. And he also was not wearing a shirt.

He looked amazing, with a kitana strapped to his side and wore the bottom half of a hakama. His tattoos shone, moving with every flexed muscle.

"Holy shit, that's him, right?" Yoruichi said, pausing to wave at Matsumoto and Hisagi.  Byakuya nodded, trying not to be obvious in his regard.

"Hot damn, sweetcheeks! He's a god. I'd totally climb that tree." Kisuke said and Byakuya had to hold back a chuckle at his friend's statement.

"Well, what are we doing? Let's go. Bya-boo, try not to throw up yet, it's only 10 o clock!"

"Well, if you hadn't pressured me into taking bodyshots off Kisuke, then I wouldn't have that option." Byakuya said, pretty high on the tipsy scale. He had not expected to find Renji here, though he should have guessed it, considering that it was mostly the Gotei who were in these parties, and Kenpachi favored Renji a lot.

He cleared his throat, ready but not ready to do it.

They finally headed over and Yumi jumped up, giving Byakuya a hug and a surprise kiss on the lips. Byakuya was slow to react because he was drunk, and Yumi was already yapping on with Yoruichi and Kisuke piping in. Yumi's costume fit his personality very well.

"I'm the bunny! Like in Legally Blonde?" He said and turned around, showing off the little bunny tail on his butt. Kisuke laughed and squeezed the little pom pom when Yumichika suggested they could.

Which didn't sit well with Ike, who grumbled a little bit.

"Byakuya-hey." Renji's voice was solemn, a little low. Byakuya's face flushed and turned towards him. 

"Renji. Good to see you. Your costume is very good." He said, his eyes sliding down to those pecs, those abs. Memories of their 'intercourse' flooded his mind, Renji's hard, big body over his own. Oh, lord. 

Renji cleared his throat, and Byakuya looked up at him- was he always this tall?- and a knowing smile crept along his face. At this point Byakuya's face was beet red.

"Thanks, baby. You look amazing, as always."

"Thank you."

"Those your friends?"

"Yes, my childhood friends. Shihouin Yoruichi and Kisuke Urahara. They are really- uhm- interesting."

"Yeah, they LOOK really interesting." He said, just as Urahara picked up a screeching Yumichika and Yoruichi was rubbing Ikkaku's bald head as they spoke. So weird.

"That they are."

They both fell silent, unsure of what next to say.

"Hey, I really want to apologize for this week. I know I haven't talked to you in while but, I really hope that maybe I can make it up to you or-"

"Byakuya?!" A deep, resonant voice spoke.

Byakuya turned to his right, and paused, blinked, and stared in utter confusion.

Was this a dream?

"Grimm?"

"It is you!"

 

\------

The night was NOT going as planned for Renji. 

He had tried to get back into Byakuya's good graces.

Only to be interrupted by this tall- not as tall as him though!- blue-haired, blue eyed dude with a build to rival his own. What was up with him?

He was really REALLY leering at Byakuya with his creepy ass smile. 

And why was Byakuya blushing so much? He only ever did that to Renji.

"You got it tough now, big boy." The purple haired woman said as she stood next to Renji, regarding the two men standing in deep conversation with each other.

"Who is that dude anyway?"

"Byakuya's first love, Renji. That's who helped Byakuya realize that he's a gay as they come. You know? And tell you what, he's always been that hot; probably hotter now that he's older. And he's rich too."

"Fuck. He's trying to get into his pants, right?"

"You bet. Who wouldn't? My best friend is hot as hell! Look at him in that toga." Yoruichi said, and Renji had to agree. So fucking hot.

His pert little ass was accentuated with each step or movement he made. The toga allowed for a large expanse of back to be shown, from those wide shoulders narrowing down to his waist and then the little curve that gave way to the two dimples above his ass cheeks that Renji so desperately wanted to dip his tongue into.

"Man, I fucked up."

"You're right. But you don't have to give up. Fair game, bro. I'm sure Byakuya would be more than happy for you to pop his cherry...." Yoruichi said and floated away, back to an alarmed Ikkaku.

Renji paused. Did that mean that Byakuya was still a 'virgin'? 

Well, then that changed a lot of things.

And explained a lot.

So then, he still had a chance obviously. 

He smirked. Renji was not going to let the blue haired leech try to take his man.

 

_______

 

Byakuya was just about plastered.

And he was a pretty sloppy drunk.

Also, he was, at the moment, sucking on a pair of lips.

Whose?

He opened his eyes, and was relieved to see that it was Renji's lips.

And Renji's hands on his ass, squeezing roughly.

How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was talking to Grimmjow. Had that been real?

Just then Renji decided to bite, bringing Byakuya's attention back to the kiss. The faint sound of music and voices could be heard, but it seemed they were far away. He broke from the kiss a moment to look around;

They were in a room that was bare, save for a long bed and a sofa.

Renji's lips trailed down his cheek, down to his neck and started to suck on the skin there. Byakuya moaned, almost losing his thoughts. Almost.

"Where are we?"

"One of Kenpachi's many many rooms. Don't worry it's a guest room. I used to use it to crash after these parties." He said, pausing to nibble at a collarbone. Restless hands dove in beneath the fabric of the toga, sliding downwards to cup his rounded flesh. 

A pause.

"Baby, are you wearing lace underwear?" Renji asked as he stroked the mounds to feel the material.

Shame, embarrassment and fear flooded Byakuya's mind as he remembered that he had given in to Yoruichi's incessant pleading and tried on a pink lace boy-short that she had bought; he did not take it off afterwards.

He tried to pull away in embarrassment, but Renji pulled him into another kiss.

"That's fucking sexy. I wanna see you. All of you in that lace. Can you show me?" He said, and Byakuya blushed deeply, but he nodded. The haze of alcohol was not clearing as he sobered up, and he began to wonder how long he had been there, and how they'd gotten there. So he asked, and Renji looked surprised.

"You don't remember? You asked me to go somewhere private and I thought-well, I assumed-fuck. You're drunk, aren't you? Alright. We'll stop. I can't- we can't- do this if you're drunk. I'd be the worst asshole in the world if we did."

"But I do want to- with you-"

"I know." Warm hands gave one last squeeze and returned to Byakuya's waist. "I do to. But I want you to remember, to know. We can take a reign check, alright?"

"Hey, can we go home now?" Byakuya said, pouting a little. Renji laughed, and pulled out his phone from his pocket. 

"I'll get us an Uber. My place or yours?"

"Let's go to mine. Ichigo makes the best pancakes on the weekends...." he trailed off, staring up at Renji's very inviting lips. He bit on his own.

Ok, so he was drunk. And he was pretty horny as well. But Renji was definitely right, so he decided that he would just have to wait until they were both sober and ready.

"Can I kiss you, at least?" Byakuya said petulantly. Renji laughed again, and murmured a yes just as his lips descended on Byakuya's.

The kiss was hot, promising, and down right erotic. Renji's tongue was doing wicked things to Byakuya's mouth. And so he moaned and pressed himself up against Renji, hands coming up to caress the hard abdominal muscle and taut pecs.

Renji groaned, breaking the kiss only to have Byakuya engage him ardently again, coaxing his tongue out once more.

That wicked, wicked mouth that Renji had could do ALOT to him.

Things got heated once again as Byakuya's hands roamed even more hot skin.

Renji stopped them.

The buzzing from his phone told him that the Uber was out front.

"Come on, baby. Let's go home."

They exited the house through the front, pausing to say good bye to a passed out Kenpachi who was being lugged by poor Ikkaku and Yumichika- that was their boss after all. 

The uber driver was parked in the front, and Renji opened the door for Byakuya. Soon they were off, back to Queens, which was not very far from Kenpachi's house(about a 20 minute drive)

Byakuya rested his head on Renji's shoulder, content and not wishing to think on anything yet. He would think in the morning, or later. 

The house was empty when they arrived, and Byakuya ushered Renji upstairs as he ordered a pizza over the phone. 

"A shit ton of pepperoni, dude. And cheese. Don't be stingy with cheese.......yeah, dude, I know! Just be here ASAP. And just ring the doorbell really hard, cos I might fall asleep...yeah"

And then they were in bed making out again, two pillows placed between them just in case anything else took place because they were both drunk-though Renji tried to deny it- and it was not a good idea.

And then the pizza came, and Renji disappeared sprinting down the stairs, and Byakuya missed him in the 3 minutes it took him to pay and bring it back up.

Then they were eating pizza and laughing at Renji's stupid drunk jokes, and when the pizza was all done, Byakuya insisted that they brush their teeth because pepperoni breath was never a good thing.

So they brushed their teeth, and then made out again immediately after that. But exhaustion and a full belly caught up with them so they quickly went back into bed and fell asleep.

Byakuya had never felt safer than he did in Renji's arms.

 

 


	6. Fight for Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji has some strong competition, and his ex-girlfriend is not making anything better. Byakuya is contemplating his options, and also quite enjoying the attention from two men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR Smut alert!  
> Includes Biting and Rimming !!!!
> 
> ! Also, Byakuya likes lace and Renji has a low-key lace fetish and a high-key Byakuya fetish.  
> Sorry if there's many grammatical mistakes, I've been using my phone to update since my computer is dead :(

Renji woke up the next morning with a boner that could cut diamonds.

And it didn't help that a lace clad ass was pressing up snugly against said boner.

Renji swallowed and slowly lifted the covers up, trying to peek at Byakuya's body.

His toga had ridden up to his waist, showing off some slim hips and long slender legs. And that ass in fucking pink lace.

Renji had to swallow a deep, guttural moan and Byakuya shifted, his butt wiggling a little as he settled and Renji was sure he was going to come in like 3 seconds just with the minimal contact.

Failing to control his body, his finger traced a line from his ear, down his neck, shoulder, arm and then onto the slim pale thighs that were silky soft. Renji was sure Byakuya must have bathed in milk at some point because his skin was ridiculously soft. He had to taste it.

And so he did, and it tasted just as delicious as it had the last time. Like sweetness and flowers and man- the heady scent of Byakuya. He let out a moan as he sucked on the crook between neck and shoulder, causing Byakuya to stir and finally wake up.

"Morning, beautiful." He said, and was glad when he saw a faint sprinkle of pink on his neck. And so he bit into the skin, causing Byakuya to gasp.

" _Renji_." He said, his voice low, throaty like a moan. Renji's hands went to the lace, stroking the flesh over it and playing with the seams as he nibbled gently.

"You're fucking gorgeous and I want to eat you up. Will you let me?" He asked. Byakuya gasped as Renji thrust gently, his big, hot hard erection sliding up against his lace-clad ass.

"Yes, please" and that was all the invitation he needed. Renji flipped them over and hovered over Byakuya, totally adorable and disheveled from sleep. Byakuya reached up and pulled the top knot from his head, letting the hair freely cascade down to form a tent around them both.

Resting on his elbows, Renji leaned in and took Byakuya's lips, gently and sweetly at first. But then the taste, the flavor of Byakuya was just too much, too overwhelming to take it slow, so his tongue explored. Thrusting and mimicking the other things he would be doing to Byakuya very soon.

 Byakuya's hands roamed and touched him everywhere as they broke the kiss, Renji's mouth following where his hands had been. Sucking again on that sharp collarbone that he loved, the man below moaned again, a throaty, needy moan that went straight to Renji's loins, the ache growing by the second.

"I want to taste every little bit of you" Renji said as his mouth slid down to a pink, delicious little nipple that was begging to be sucked on. And so he did,

and he was very glad that he had, because Byakuya _mewled_ and arched his back.

FUCK.

So fucking sexy. Renji watched his lover's face as he bit down on the nipple and licked. Byakuya was twitching beneath him, a hand clamped over his mouth to stop all the embarrassing noises coming from him. 

And so Renji switched to the other, equally inviting nipple, providing the same attention to it as he did the other. He watched as Byakuya's mouth hung open, his hand laying back against the bed and gripping the sheets heavily. His eyes were closed as if in concentration, and when Renji gave another little nip, he jerked involuntarily, that sexy little mewl he'd done coming back again.

And then Renji reluctantly moved on, all teeth, tongue and lips as he settled on tasting the skin on Byakuya's abdomen as the muscles jumped with each contact.

And then finally he got to the prize- those lace briefs.

Renji had to pause for a second because he was so sure that he was going to come just by looking at him. What a fucking sight to be hold.

The creamy expanse of pale skin meeting the floral pastel pink that was soft as silk to touch. And then Byakuya's cock was hard and pink and leaking, encased in pink lace.

Looked so fucking delicious.

And so he licked the shaft over the lace, enjoying the sensation of the ruched fabric against his mouth. Byakuya moaned, one hand winding its way into Renji's hair and tugging gently as the other played with his own nipple.

Legs spread wider to accommodate as Renji settled between them, intent on taking his sweet time and getting Byakuya undone as much as possible. 

He mouthed at the erection slowly, sliding his tongue down and nuzzling Byakuya's balls. The lace was getting wet with Renji's mouth and the precum dripping from Byakuya's cock. 

He loved the taste of Byakuya; he couldn't get enough of the sweet, flowery scent. Wanted to be engulfed in it, consumed by the heat of the soft, pale petals that formed Byakuya's skin. 

Like Cherry Blossoms.

Beautiful, ethereal, out of reach. Such reverent thoughts crossed his mind, ironically, just as he pulled the lace down gently and took Byakuya into his mouth entirely.

He'd never done it before, but he didn't care. He wanted to taste every bit of Byakuya; every morsel both physically and mentally.

A man so stoic and unemotional could be so pliant, so passionate, warm and vulnerable to him, and only ever him. Those sounds, those angelic, sprite-like moans that were spilling from his mouth were a treasure; he wanted no one else to ever be blessed with hearing them. No one but himself.

And this secret of lace underwear- did he wear these to work too? Fuck, Renji would be staring at that ass every day forward, wondering if the sexy lace was waiting for him to explore.

And he continued his assault on Byakuya, slowly sucking and licking on his member, all lips and tongue and wetness surrounding his lover. The moans were getting louder, and so Renji slowed it down, releasing his cock with a small gentle bite that had Byakuya jump a little.

"You like it when I bite, huh?" Renji asked as his mouth latched on a creamy thigh and bit down. Byakuya gasped and moaned, his hand snaking down to stroke his painful erection. 

Renji was also painfully hard, and he was rutting against the sheets for some relief. But he had to take it slow, make sure that Byakuya was getting as much pleasure as possible.

He bit again and Byakuya moaned again, loud and uninhibited. Renji paused, licked at the bite that was beginning to bruise and spoke.

"A bit of a masochist, huh? I like that." As Renji supplied more nibbles and bites and licks to those thighs, the hand in his hair tightened, tugging gently. Fuck, Renji loved having his hair pulled.

Renji's assault on thighs continued, and Byakuya's moans were deep, loud and so fucking sexy. Small bruises reflected the path of Renji's teeth on inner thighs that were quivering with each touch. Renji paused for a moment as an idea popped into his head and he grinned.

"Hey, get on your knees." Renji said, and Byakuya obliged, settling on his knees and elbows, that pert, taut, lace clad ass up in the air.

Renji swallowed, his mouth watering and his cock twitching with excitement at the sight. Those two dimples that had teased him all last night were prominent, and waiting for Renji to dip his tongue into.

And he sure did, pressing his tongue into each dimple reverently, like a starving man coming to drink for the first time. He placed some open mouthed kisses on his lover's spine, and then paused to look again, at the splendor of Byakuya in lace. He drank the sight of him in, the beauty of the skin, marked by Renji in many different places.

He went in, pressing his mouth against a cheek and licking against the lace gently. Then came the teeth- a little nibble on the flesh before moving on to the other cheek, where he did the same thing.

And then he went in and pressed his tongue against Byakuya's entrance, eagerly spreading moisture through the sheer lace. Renji moaned just as Byakuya moaned in response, his hips canting back to receive more.

And then Renji couldn't wait to really taste him, so he yanked the lace off down to his thighs and pressed his open mouth against Byakuya's opening, lapping desperately at the muscle there with his tongue and lips.

And Byakuya's moans got much louder, high pitched as Renji's tongue darted in and out frantically, adding growls and incoherent words as he ate him out.

And then Byakuya was coming hard, jerking wildly as he ejaculated on the bed, come dripping, the sounds were so fucking phenomenal that Renji had to pause again and grip his own cock hard to stop him from coming. 

"I...lube." Byakuya said hoarsely and pointed at a small bottle on the bedside table. Renji paused his ministrations and grabbed the bottle, popping it open and pouring a generous amount on his hand and then proceeding to coat his fingers.

"You ready, baby?" He asked, and Byakuya hummed, stroking his cock back to erection as Renji's finger penetrated. Renji moaned deeply as the tight, wet heat engulfed his fingers and he couldn't wait to be buried in there, thrusting hard and fast until Byakuya came again. 

But he prepared his lover patiently, stroking him gently and adding fingers gradually until 3 were in and out easily. 

He braced himself, lubed his aching cock up and then slowly, gently entered the hot, pulsing cavern of his lover's body.

Renji moaned, his cock throbbing and ready for release. He held onto Byakuya's hips tightly, regaining control as the sweat dripped from his brow and onto the little dimples that framed Byakuya's beautiful body.

"You good?" He asked, strained and urgent. Byakuya nodded.

"Please...do"

And he acquiesced.

He started out slow, with some shallow strokes, gently soothing Byakuya's back, and then his lover jerked and moaned. A wanton, sensual and fucking sexy moan, and Renji lost control.

He flipped Byakuya over and hoisted his legs up, pressing against his thighs as he entered him again. He wanted to see Byakuya moan, come undone, come hard. Lose control.

So he stared as he slammed in and out, hitting at Byakuya's prostate mercilessly. He leaned in, pressing his mouth urgently against Byakuya's, teeth and tongue clashing.

They made love passionately, Byakuya working up to meet each thrust Renji made, one hand possessively in his hair and the other on Renji's ass.

It wasn't long before they both came undone, panting and moaning into each other's mouths, eyes open and staring into their lover's soul.

Byakuya came first, the friction of his cock pressed between his own and Renji's belly, and the overwhelming pleasure of being filled so profoundly, brought him off the edge and into the abyss of pure undulated pleasure.

Renji watched the way his eyes widened, pupils blown black, his whole body flushed with pleasure as a long, guttural moan escaped his lips.

He was beyond beautiful. Like an angel- a fairy- some kind of deity that he must have loved in his past life, but had not attained. So ephemeral, ethereal, so exquisitely bewitching that Renji thought he had gone blind with the rest of the world.

His lover's contracting walls led him to his own white hot orgasm as he let out an animalistic growl of sheer pleasure, almost a howl. His body jerked uncontrollably, the pleasure rocking him to the core.

He was blinded by the light of the beauty that surrounded them, and he collapsed above his lover's body, exhausted and quite sated.

"Fuck." Was all he could say, and Byakuya huffed, gently pulling aside the curtain of hair over his face.

He planted a gentle kiss on Renji's cheek and said, "Well, we just did."

Renji laughed out loud, and rolled over to take Byakuya in his arms.

And in that moment with the sunlight streaming into the room, the bed an absolute mess, the two of them sticky, messy and sweaty, did Renji realize something very important.

He was in love again.

_______

Byakuya was ridiculously happy, and also embarrassed at the same time. 

Renji had discovered the large bag of victoria's secret stuff that Yoruichi had purchased for him.

"So, you wear stuff like this a lot?" Renji asked as he picked up a particularly frilly bit of underwear. Which was one of his favorites. But he would never admit it.

"No, last night was actually the first time I'd-I'd taken the liberty to." He said as he turned quite red.

Renji chuckled, continuing to rummage through the bag as he sat in the center of the bed, naked as the day he was born. Byakuya had thrown a bathrobe on because he was not that used to....his own nudity.

He liked Renji's though.

They'd showered together- well, with some good sport included of course, then remade the bed and Renji had wandered into Byakuya's closet to see if there was anything he could borrow, and stopped when he found the Victoria's Secret bag. 

"Well, I think you should take the liberty to wear these a lot. Like every day. Shit, like right now." He said, and held out the underwear.

Byakuya blushed again.

"Now?"

"Yea,-I mean, no pressure. Just think I'd really love to see you in these black ones."

Byakuya paused.

If Renji liked them, then he felt a lot less embarrassed, and a little....confident?

As Yoruichi always told him, 'stop overthinking and get the shit done.'

And so he took the underwear and put it on beneath his robe.

He liked the snug fit of them, the smooth seamless lines and the way they felt-soft and free, like air. He blushed once he noted Renji's hungry eyes on him, and he turned around, and dropped his robe to the ground.

"Fucking hell" was Renji's only response. Byakuya turned around, showing him the front view, and his cock sprung to life again, twitching with interest as those eyes roamed his body hungrily.

"Is this to your liking?" Byakuya said, and Renji guffawed.

"It sure fucking is. Bring your sexy ass over here, now." He commanded, and Byakuya easily obliged, crawling onto the bed. Renji spread his legs, and Byakuya settled atop him, his ass nestled against his hardening cock.

Byakuya felt his body tighten with pleasure at the memory of what they just did a few hours ago.

Who knew sex could be so.....profound.

He'd seen stars and everything. 

Renji was just phenomenal.

And he was starting again, with the nipples.

Byakuya did not know that his nipples were so sensitive. Renji had discovered that and proceeded to leave a number of bites along his chest as a result.

Not that he was complaining.

Renji's mouth, also seemed to latch onto every bit of skin; and the biting. Byakuya had just discovered 2 fetishes in one night- lace, and biting?

Well.

Yoruichi would be proud of him.

Renji rutted against Byakuya, his throbbing erection sliding between his lace clad cheeks and Byakuya moaned, feeling the heat of his shaft press against his hole without entering. He met the gentle thrust of his lover, canting his hips and pressing himself up against Renji's hard abdomen, keening as the friction between skin & lace was utterly delicious.

And then Byakuya, wanting to taste Renji, ran a hand through that flame of hair and yanked his head back roughly, and descended for a hot, sloppy kiss. Renji's tongue darted deep into his mouth, claiming the territory. Byakuya pushed back aggressively with his own tongue, exploring Renji's mouth possessively.

Renji made one of those sexy growls and suddenly, Byakuya was on his back, spread eagle, with Renji frantically reaching for the lube on the table.

"I'm not holding back this time, baby-" He warned and bit at a nipple a little roughly. In response Byakuya yanked Renji's hair again, interrupting his words with another hot, passionate kiss with plenty of teeth. Renji's cock twitched, excited with the change in pace. 

So there was different types of this, huh? Byakuya liked it.

As they kissed, Byakuya did not notice Renji's busy hands fumbling with the lube, and then moments later a 'ripping' sound was made.

"Oops. I tore your lace, baby." He said, sounding not in the least bit apologetic. "Don't worry, I'll get you some new ones. Nice, sexy ones."

Byakuya was about to respond, but deft fingers entered him and he gasped, moaning at the sore but pleasant experience. 

Their second time was not gentle in the least. Renji fucked Byakuya with his panties on, his hands restricted above his head by  Renji's own, his cock aching for friction and release as Renji entered him and stroked fast and hard.

Byakuya gasped and moaned, arching his back when a greedy pair of lips descended on his nipples again and bit down hard just as Renji hit his prostate spot on.

"Oh FUCK, you're so fucking tight...." Renji growled, pounding hard as he played with those nipples.

They didn't last long with that pace, Byakuya coming hard and unexpectedly with a bite on his nipple; come pooled on his panties, all over his abdomen, and he shuddered with pleasure, still coming as Renji pounded him harder with each thrust until he came inside of him, hot seed filling him up and making him whole.

They collapsed, Renji scooping a disoriented Byakuya up in his arms.

 -----

Renji and Byakuya made their way downstairs to the kitchen after their second shower for the day.

Everyone was sat at the table, and Ichigo was busy as a bee doling out some pretty big pancakes.

The smell of bacon hit Renji's nose and his belly growled with hunger. 

Rukia saw them first, smiling mischievously at the hem.

"Renji! Nii-Sama, Ichigo made a ton of pancakes. Sit and eat."

They joined the table, Yoruichi and Kisuke already there-and a very chirpy Richiki sat as chipper as ever as he chatted with Yachiru; Yumi & Ikkaku were arguing over something.

Renji grinned and turned to Byakuya, who was frowning heavily. Probably wondering when and what these people were doing in his house.

"Hey, baby lighten up. You know, these people in here actually like you?" He gave him a small peck, and Byakuya's face went from annoyance to a flicker of surprise, and then that disapproval look that he had whenever Renji said something stupid.

They sat down at the table, the chatter increasing and Yoruichi pointed out the large amount of hickeys that could be seen on Byakuya's neck.

Which led to everyone teasing Renji about his obsession with biting things. 

To which Renji responded, rather compulsively, that Byakuya loved it when he bit.

To which Byakuya's face turned beet red and told Renji to shut up.

They ate their hearty breakfast and Renji had to admit the little Fucker Ichigo could throw down in the kitchen. The pancakes were phenomenal.

 It was great, having a big breakfast around so many people.

Around the people he LOVED.

He turned to Byakuya, smiling gently and then planting a gentle kiss on his lips. He was surprised yet again, but Renji didn't care. He was super touchy feely, and Byakuya was just so damn lovable with that stern look.

He wrapped an arm around his lover, pulling Byakuya in closer to him. Byakuya seemed to accept the embrace, snuggling close and placing his head on Renji's shoulder.

"This is great, you know? I never had this growing up." He said, being pensive about his childhood.

"Had what?"

"Breakfast at the table, talking. Laughing. All of this. Never had it."

"Why not?"

"I didn't tell you?" Renji asked, wondering at the fact that he hadn't shared his history with Byakuya. He never hid it, anyone could tell he was from the streets. His accent, his gait, the tattoos. So he took a breath and told Byakuya his story.

Renji had never experienced this before, as an orphan in a large orphanage of 200 kids in the poorest part of Chicago. It had been bad; having to fight for food because all the big dudes would try to take it for themselves. They slept in a rat infested old warehouse, no beds, no blankets. Just body heat and some sleeping bags that were donated once in a while to them. He had been 4 years old when he was taken there; his mother, he remembered, had been dirt poor. His father had been a dead beat junkie who used to beat the shit out of Renji whenever he was high. So his mother had done what she thought was best for him, and dropped him off at the orphanage.

Renji remembered she would come see him with treats every 3 days, giving him a new toy or a blanket or something sweet. He'd looked forward to the days she visited; they were the bright ray of light in the cold, dreary winters in that warehouse.

But then one day, on his 8th birthday, she never came. And Renji had freaked out. He had ran away, headed to their old home. Found the police there. Inquired about what was going on.

And the police had mentioned that a woman with red hair just like his was killed by her husband. 

Renji had been utterly distraught, and angry. He'd seen his father being taken out of the house with blood all over his shirt. Renji had gone up to him and socked him in the gut.

It had been like a switch in his head had gone off after that. He had been blind with rage and guilt. The only person who loved him, who he loved, was gone. Hewas going to get revenge on his father one day. If he had to die in the course of it.

And so he took to the streets, hustling and selling drugs, this 8 year old boy with red hair built a reputation quickly with this man they called Kenpachi.

"Wait, so Kenpachi was a drug lord?" Byakuya asked. Renji smiled.

"Yup. 17 years ago, he was managing one of the biggest cartels in the South side of Chicago. And I got to work for him when I was eight, pushing dime bags of weed and crack and shit. Never touched the stuff myself, I knew way too many crack heads."

"Did you make enough money to survive?" Byakuya asked, and Renji's heart warmed at the concern laced into his voice.

"I did. Made about $6.000 by the time I was ten. Used to sell dope to rich ass high school kids after I got outta class. The Kenpachi took a liking to me, see. Gave me a bunch of good jobs. I pushed packages till I was 16 years old. Zaraki retired; he'd been going to school the whole time, for his accountancy degree- who'd a thunk that?! And another dude took over. Memphis was his name; a young ass wipe who didn't know what the fuck he was doing. 

So I quit. Tried to run off. Got caught by Memphis's men- they brought me back and tried to teach me a lesson. Tattooed my forehead." He said and pointed at the two tattoos on his forehead. Byakuya's finger reached out to gently trace one.

"Renji-"

"Hurt like hell, but I was fine with it. That night I dreamed of a snake a white baboon telling me to run away and find Kenpachi. It showed me an image of myself with these stripes on my body and told me that I must become this man."

"So you got the tattoos?"

"Yea, I got them done when I turned 18. Left the south side after saving more money. I got news that the Kenpachi started an accounting firm down in D.C. so that's where I went. Needless to say, he was not very happy to see me. Kicked me on the curb the moment I walked in, looking like an ass hole straight outta jail."

"So what did you do?"

"I waited outside his firm for 5 days. On the fifth day, Yumichika was walking down the street, his usual boisterious queer self. Saw me looking a hot mess an' shit. He picked me up and brought me to his apartment. We became best friends at that point, and everyday I would go over to Kenpachi's until he finally allowed me to work as a janitor there. Which I was totally fine with, I mean, all I knew about was selling dope."

"What happened after that?"

"I picked up words and info and shit as I worked. The people there were all real nice, but this one guy took time out of his day to actually tutor me in accounting and auditing. At first I thought it was kinda boring, but when I got into the numbers and balancing an' shit, I really started to like it. This dude really taught me everything fundamental. Told me I should go to college."

"Who was the guy?"

"It was Ikkaku. The ass hole's really fuckin' smart. I don't understand why he won't take the Senior position because he sure as hell would be a killer sr. accountant with all the shit he knows. Anyway, yeah. So I applied for college in D.C., finished my degree up- I used all my drug money to pay for my education, ain't that wild?! And then the Kenpachi's firm was consolidated into Shoten and well, the dude finally warmed up to me. Offered me and Yumichika some lower management positions in New York. I was 20 years old when we moved here. Started working at Shoten. Got promoted a few times and well, here I am." He finished, and took a sip of his coffee.

Byakuya was looking at him with that stoic expression, but his eyes were clear with empathy and affection, and Renji almost choked on his drink. 

"I did not know this about you, Renji. Thank you for sharing with me." He said, and snuggled up closer. Renji sighed, the ghosts of his past fading slowly in the shadows because of the bright light that was Byakuya.

They finished off their breakfast and Rikichi eagerly volunteered to clean up as everyone moved into the large living room to watch a movie.

After a long, colorful debate about what to watch, Kisuke the most prominent voice of reason because he never watched anything without some type of thriller component to it. And then Yachiru was very adamant at the fact that she really loved rom-coms.

This had gone around in circles  until Byakuya had enough, told everyone to be quiet in that icy authoritative voice and that stern look- and it had worked. He picked out anow Avengers movie and they were good to go.

Renji grinned at his lover as they settled together on the lazy boy. Since all the good sofas were taking, they had to cuddle up on the single seater. Which Renji was more than happy about because he deliberately spread his legs so Byakuya could sit on his lap.

His lover hesitated at first, his cheeks flushing as he glared disapprovingly at him.

"C'mere baby" Renji said and Byakuya obliged, settling across Renji's long legs. He wrapped an arm around Byakuya's back and kissed him gently.

He could totally get used to this.

\--------

The following Tuesday at work, Byakuya got a visitor.

Rikichi came in, bouncing off the walls as usual. 

Renji told him to calm down.

"There's a gentleman here to see you, Byakuya."

"Who is it?" He responded, not pausing to look up from his work.

"His name is Grimmjow Jaegarjaquez ? I hope I said it right." Byakuya's head snapped up at mention of the name, and his face began to turn a light shade of pink.

He looked at Renji, noticing the man was staring rather intently at Byakuya.

He cleared his throat.

"Send him in, Rikichi." 

Moments later, Grimm walked in.

Looking so sexy, Byakuya concluded. 

He had on a navy blue suit and a crisp white shirt, his blue tie accentuating those deep, clear blue eyes and that shock of blue hair. It was like his clothing was molded to every muscle on his body. 

Byakuya had the urge to feel every single muscle there.

He cleared his throat again, stood up. Renji's eyes were boring into his back as he greeted Grimm and told him tI have a seat on the couch.

"Kuya, you look absolutely stunning as always. Just the same as you did when you were 18! How is that possible?" He said and pressed a hand to Byakuya's thigh.

Renji cleared his throat and stood.

"We meet again." He reached the couchand extended a hand to Grimm, who took it and shook.

"Yes. Abarai, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." He said and  plopped down on the  couch across from them. 

The two men exchanged glares, and Byakuya was just about ready to roll his eyes at them. What in the world had they talked about before?

"What brings you over here?" Byakuya asked, and the question startled Grimm.

"You don't remember ? At the Kenpachi's house. We spoke about something."

Byakuya paused, thinking back to what Grimm had said. But for the life of him, he could not recall. 

All he remembered was taking two shots at the bar with grimm before blacking out.

Oh Lords of Calligraphy , what had he said? Byakuya was the type to be very flirty and forward when he was drunk. 

He could feel his face heating up at the thought that he may have made out with two guys on the same night. Yoruichi would be proud of him. 

"Forgive me, Grimm but I cannot recall." 

"Oh. Well, no matter. We can just talk again."

"By all means-"

"In private, if you please Kuya."

Byakuya paused and looked at Renji, who looked downright pissed off. But he stood and left quickly.

Just as soon as Renji left, Grimmjow moved closer to Byakuya, taking his hands in his.

He had big hands like Renji's, and he blushed at the memory of long fingers making him feel good.

"Kuya, please hear me out. I know it's been years, right? You're probably wondering why I didn't contact you after we- our encounter- but unfortunately my father found out about you and I through the cameras in our house. He shippedid me off to my aunts in Germany. I wasn't allowed to talk to you ever again."

"Oh dear. I think my father may have mentioned something about you but I was too angry to listen."

"Yeah, I was a kid back then. Couldn't do much under my father's thumb."

"That is understandable."

"But I am a grown man now, Kuya. And I can take care of you. Of us."

"What do mean?"

"Well, let's see." He moved in closer and placed a gentle kiss on Byakuya's lips, brief but sweet and Byakuya blushed fiercely. Grimm was quite the seducer.

"You must know that I am seeing Ren-"

His speech was cut short by another soft kiss, this time a little longer than the first but still gentle and sweet.

"I don't care. It seems as though you two are not official yet, so that means I still have a chance. I want to make you mine, Kuya. In every way possible." Grimmjow said and kissed Byakuya once more before finally leaving.

He paused at the door. "Wait for my call, Kuya. I want to pamper you" He said aND with a whoosh, he was gone, leaving a confused and blushing Byakuya in his wake.

Renji popped back in and stared at Byakuya , who then cleared  his throat and went back to work in silence.

Oh lord.

What was he to do? 

He really liked Renji, spending time with him, laughing and just being silly- he'd never done that with anyone before. He was having fun.

But Renji was straight as an arrow. Eventually he would get tired of Byakuya and maybe want to get back to women...

Grimmjow was bi-sexual. Byakuya could live  with that. 

He was very attracted to both men. They were his type. He enjoyed Renji's kisses and he also enjoyed Grimm's kisses.

What was he to do?!?!

He shook his head and turned back to his work. All these thoughts could wait until after work.

And hopefully in a place where Renji's eyes were not shooting daggers at him.

 

\----

 

Renji was pissed. Fuck.

He couldn't even concentrate on his work all day, so he'd gone over to The Kenpachi's to spare with the guy. Blow off some steam during the last hour of work.

Meaning he could face Byakuya and ask what the fuck that was all about.

Grimmjow Jaegarjaquez was his rival. Yumi had said that the two of them, him and Grimm were like twins. Byakuya's ideal type.

Fuck.

Not to mention that Byakuya had that 'just got thoroughly kissed' expression on his face when he'd walked back in. Renji loved that expression. But only when it had been caused by himself.

Jealousy burned in his gut, flaming hot and angry. He would not let that blue haired demon take away Byakuya.

Over his dead fucking body.

He strolled into the Kenpachi's offices, Yumichika perched stoic at the reception desk. the Kenpachi's division was larger than Renji's at the 6th because he had joined with the condition of having his own branch. Byakuya's had about 7 employees beneath them, but Kenpachi had 20. And they had a flicking gym in there too.

It was a fucking jungle. Renji had enjoyed his time in the division, but it was too  fucking unpredictable. The Kenpachi ran his division like a drug ring. And it worked.

"Renji. You look pissed off. What happened?" Yumi said. Renji paused and huffed.

"Remember that guy who was trying to get it in with Byakuya at the Kenpachi 's? Dude with the blue hair?"

"Yeah."

"Yea well the Fucker dropped by today. Asked to talk to Byakuya in private. I'm pretty sure he's trying to date him."

"Oh. Damn. You think Byakuya would?"

"He was blushing like crazy....he only ever did if I teased him, you know? And they have history together. So yeah."

"Well, are you guys official yet? Did you ask him to be your boyfriend?"

Renji sighed. "No. I'm still trying to adjust, alright? I really like him- hell, I may be in love with him, but I still don't know if- I can't - he's a guy, you know? How does that work? Like, what can I-"

"You don't know if you can date a guy. Call him your boyfriend."

Renji's face heated up with shame but he nodded. 

Yumichika smacked his arm. "Well then you should have thought about that before you fucked him and cuddled and shit! What and not asshole."

Renji shrugged, not having any counter argument for that statement.

"I don't know what to do."

"And on top of that, Kuna is still trying it with me."

"Well, did you tell her about him?"

"No. I will! I just feel bad-"

"Why would you feel bad? She's the one who left you the day after you got engaged for an asshole she met on line in Germany. Who the fuck does that? And then you don't want to hurt her feelings because you feel bad? Renji, get the fuck out of here. You're pissing me off."

And so Renji left, stewing in his thoughts about what to do next.


	7. Love Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji has an epiphany about Byakuya.  
> Byakuya's father appears unexpectedly, and Renji finds himself in a place he never thought he would be.  
> Grimm tries to gain Byakuya's favor and is rivaled by Renji.  
> Ikkaku and Yumichika have some couple trouble due to Yoruichi and Urahara's meddling

If one was to say that there was something enjoyable about being the center of attention, then it definitely would never be Kuchiki Byakuya. 

Because he absolutely hated it.

And hence, he wholeheartedly despised his birthday because his father always decided to throw him a lavish dinner party, invite all the cousins that he hated as well as potential wives for him. 

But that wasn't even the worst part.

Every year, his father would insist on Byakuya dress in full kimono and don the family headgear-the kenseikan- and traipse around in it for HOURS until his head hurt and his feet burned from the wooden slippers.

He absolutely abhorred the whole thing.

His birthday had come and gone this year,thank the gods, but somehow his father had decided to throw a dinner party for him, to welcome him to the USA.

And his father had sent Edward down to Byakuya's house with a big orange box that he knew very well held a brand new kimono and his kenseikan, shiny and bright and ridiculously gaudy.

He sighed as he flung the headgear onto his bed, taking out the kimono that was underneath.

It was a stunning black silk kimono with the signature cherry blossoms falling against the black and onto the snow on the hem of his hakama. The tree that the petals fell from was a young tree, its branches reaching out over the back of the kimono as if stretching on the haori. The Kuchiki crest sat nestled on the front like a badge.

He sighed and stood, preparing to try the garment on. The dinner was the following night at his father's penthouse in Manhattan; he liked to be sure the damn thing fit, glad that his father had not been able to find the right shoes in time, so he would just wear some black slippers.

He stripped down naked, pausing to look at himself in the mirror to study how one of his Victoria Secret "Pink" boyshorts- they had the letters P I N K emblazoned across his butt- made him look a lot more exciting.

He blushed at the memory of Renji's eyes, his hands, his mouth all over him, telling him he was beautiful-sexy, even- with the underwear on. Well.

It had been a great day.

But Renji had been distant again since then, never talking to Byakuya outside of work issues. He hadn't seen him outside of work in 8 days this time, and he was beginning to second guess himself.

Was he weird? Maybe Renji found him to be boring? Or was it because he was a man? Had he gone back to his girlfriend? What if he really did feel obligated to sleep with Byakuya because he didn't want to get fired?

Byakuya sighed as he donned his kimono, lost in thought.

He honestly, really REALLY liked Renji and everything about him- even the fact that he snores and drools in his sleep- but what to do if the feelings weren't reciprocated?

Then there was Grimm and his persistence; He texted Byakuya everyday, called him, stopped by the office every other day after concluding his business with Byakuya's father.

He had asked him out for a dinner date and Byakuya had agreed to give him the benefit of the doubt. If Renji did not want him, well there was no point in him wasting anymore energy on that and focus on someone who actually was interested in him.

Not that he blamed Renji- no, he blamed himself. He knew that Renji was straight. Yoruichi had strictly mentioned to him before he left Japan, that the 'Rules of being Gay as Fuck' included the Number 1 Rule being 'Don't fall for a straight guy'- which he obviously broke. 

He finally understood why Yoruichi listed it as the first rule.

Because he missed Renji like crazy. It's not like they'd actually dated for real or anything, just that he missed Renji's nearness, that constant heat radiating off his body as he stood beside Byakuya. Or the way he would always read Byakuya's face, searching for something and always finding it. He would lean in slightly and place his nose behind his ear and inhale Byakuya's scent as if committing it to memory. And their random, but profound conversations about life, love and silly things.

Lord, he missed him.

But he had to move on; besides, what would Renji do if he ever found out Byakuya's true identity? It was best to keep his distance. And maybe participate in some extra curricular activities with Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez.

 

~~~~~~~

"You're an idiot, you know that?" A very tipsy Ikkaku said as he pointed at his friend. Renji grunted, already 2 beers in on a Monday night. Buzzed. But feeling absolutely miserable.

"Yeah, I fucken' know that, dude. Don't you think I know? I'm a fucken' idiot."

"You had a hot ass dude, fly as fuck! Like, listen dude....If I weren't with Yumi, you know I'd hit the shit outta Byakuya?! He's so fuckin' fine, bro." Ikkaku mentioned, grinning as he pointed at Yumichika, who was brushing off a random guy's hand on his shoulder. Yumi was really popular; 

Evidently, so was Byakuya, it seemed.

Renji's mood grew darker as he thought about the tall blue haired ass hat who was trying to steal his- his what? His boyfriend?!

The sound of that still threw Renji off real hard; no, he wasn't- he couldn't have a boyfriend. 

He grew up in the slums- places where homophobia was a natural thing. Gay boys were often beaten up so badly and left to die on the streets. And Renji had never participated in that, but he hadn't really cared. He would never be gay; He liked pussy WAY too much.

But then came Byakuya with those grey eyes and jet black hair and lithe, lightly muscular frame and that deep, sexy voice. Those long lashes, high cheekbones and those plum[ ass lips that Renji could kiss for the rest of his life.

That sweet, petal soft cherry blossom scented skin; the way he walked. The way he hardly talked. Renji had always been one to talk a lot- he was just naturally outgoing. He spoke on impulse, had to say what he had to say. But Byakuya was silent, pensive and observant. Always quick to notice everything.  

And then whenever he called his name with that Japanese accent of his- fuck, well it turned Renji on like a light switch.

He knew it very well- he was in love with the guy. Clearly. He'd already admitted it to himself.

But he just wasn't gay. How would he be seen, Renji Abarai, former member of the Bloods of Chicago, used to carry a .49 at the age of 7 and sell bricks of coke daily, if his childhood friends found out that he's fucking a dude?

He knew the Kenpachi would not give a flying fuck- the dude was low key in love with Ichigo for some strange reason?- but he would probably be kicked out of his biker gang. Shunned. Ostracized.

Like he'd seen Yumichika been on countless times; he was clearly as gay as they came. He wore his hair long, used make up and had fake nails. He wore crop tops and yoga pants- his ass always looked amazing of course. But he often got jeered at and called names in places, sometimes not even being allowed to enter.

Renji had experienced that before as a kid; having to wear the same clothes for months after his mother died, he remembered trying to go up into the North Side of Chicago where all the rich people were.

He remembered getting kicked out of a number of stores because he smelled like garbage or he was a 'street rat'. Renji had hated it so much. And he never ever wanted to experience that ever again.

But, damn he missed Byakuya.

He had been itching to kiss the frown off his face for 8 long days, watching his every moving, wanting to ask "what's wrong" and call him baby all day. Fuck him into the sheets at night. Cuddle and make out, watch movies and talk.

Yumichika returned with more beers, a huge grin on his face.

"Dude over there bought me three beers for no reason whatsoever." He said and handed them over. Ike frowned, but took the beer anyway.

"You're such a flirt. You're lucky I'm not the outrageously jealous type, ya know?"

"You wouldn't get so many freebies if you were, Iku!" He said and gave him a short peck, and then turned to Renji. "I've been texting your boo! He asked about you." 

Renji grunted, trying to seem nonchalant but curiosity got the better of him. "What he say?" 

Ikkaku guffawed and Yumi smiled, a look of mischief plastered onto his face.

"I told him you're being an ass, as usual. He said you're a beautiful ass anyway."

"Did he say what he's doing?"

"You gonna go fuck him and be an asshole again? Because if you are, I swear to go-"

"I'm going home." He said and downed the beer in one go before leaving.

Yumichika sighed. "What an idiot."

"Hey, just give him time! You know where he's from- it took me 8 years to finally accept that I like you. Remember?" Ikkaku said as he pulled his lover close and nuzzled his ear gently.

Yumi purred in response. "Yea well, you had no competition. He does."

 

````````````

Renji had been set on going home and passing out on his huge ass bed in his loft.

But somehow he had managed to type in Byakuya's address, and found himself standing in the doorway, his motorcycle perched on the drive behind Byakuya's Prius.

And then Byakuya was at the door, hair all wet and in that cute white bathrobe that Renji liked and - oh, lord the robe was gaping a little and showing off that pale, creamy flesh and a delicious looking little nipple.

Renji's mouth watered. 

And then Byakuya was saying something, but he couldn't concentrate because his eyes were following a droplet of water that descended slowly down his chest and onto that offending nipple once again.

He swallowed.

".....want to come in or not?" He was saying, and Renji nodded, following Byakuya into the house. His legs were bare, those slender calves leading to some delicate but strong ankles. Renji wanted to kiss them so bad. And then Byakuya was saying something again, and Renji's eyes flew to those lips- soft, so fucking soft. He licked his own lips.

".....Even listening to me?" He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Did anyone ever tell you..." Renji said as he took a step towards Byakuya, who was a little alarmed, but stood his ground "....that you" another step "have..." another step "the" he stood close to Byakuya, close enough that the shorter man had to look up to his face "sexiest accent I have ever heard?"

This statement, it seemed, threw Byakuya off guard because he blushed like crazy and looked away.

"Renji-"

"The way you say my name turns me on."

"Renji, please-"

"Can I kiss you? I've been itching to kiss you for a week, baby." He asked, and waited for permission. Doubt swam in the cloudy grey, desire mingling and apprehension. And Renji felt like an asshole for coming here again and treating Byakuya like a booty call, but fuck it if he needed his fix- his Byakuya. 

The acquiescence followed with a nod, and Renji was on him in a second, devouring those lips he so desperately craved. His hands were frantic, gliding past the barrier that was the bath robe and reaching for damp, warm skin that was so pliant under his fingertips.

"Renji~" he moaned as they broke their rough, sexy kiss for a moment and god damn Renji loved the way he said his name.

"Yes, baby-" He responded as his lips latched onto a warm patch of skin on his lover's neck. His hands delved deep, round his back and settling on that pert little ass that he'd missed, kneading the flesh just as Byakuya pushed at the leather jacket that Renji wore.

He helped tug it off and then he was left with his tank top and black jeans. Renji stripped Byakuya of the robe, falling to the floor of the living room as he urgently pushed Byakuya back against the wall.

They kissed again and Byakuya's tongue came out to play eagerly, stroking Renji's mouth as his fingers traced dusky nipples, ripped arms and down to the jeans that his younger lover wore.

Fingers reached in- laughing into Renji's mouth at the discovery of no underwear yet again, and then Renji's cock was free of his restrictive jeans and Byakuya was suddenly on his knees and well- fuck him if it hadn't been the best blowjob of his life as he was leaning against the living room wall of his boss's house. 

Those soft, full lips slid around his sizable length, gently suckling on his tip as he moaned loudly and uninhibited. He opened his eyes and placed a hand in Byakuya's locks, watching as grey eyes met his.

It was a spectacular sight to behold. Byakuya naked, on his knees, skin flushed and pleasuring himself as he gave Renji a blowjob.

Renji had to close his eyes to stop himself from blowing a load right then and there.

He needed to be inside of Byakuya.

Using all the strength he possessed, he pulled Byakuya up and hoisted him up, long legs over his arms and spread wide with his back against the wall. Byakuya was panting with need, wrapped his arms around Renji's neck as he felt the tip of Renji's girth probe gently. Hot. Fuck.

"You got any lube around here" He managed to grind out just as Byakuya's entrance twitched in excitement.

"M-massage oil on the table" He responded and reached out to the table beside them. He popped the cap off and poured a generous amount onto his hand and reached down to stroke Renji, lubing him up. He moaned and bucked into the slick heat, hard and ready to do it.

"Now I wanna see you get ready for me, baby. Come on~" He coaxed Byakuya, who sighed and then inserted two fingers inside of himself. He whimpered, his face heating up and Renji watched, entranced at the way he huffed gently against Renji's mouth and moved his fingers quickly. Renji groaned in excitement, his body anticipating the tight, wet heat of Byakuya more than ever. 

His lips found a nipple, and he tugged and bit down hard, causing his lover to arch his back and cry out his name.

He couldn't wait anymore.

He entered slowly, gently until he bottomed out. Byakuya was sexy like this; hair askew, lips swollen and nipples framed with bite marks and hickeys. So fucking beautiful.

And Renji broke a sweat, the heat and warmth and tightness so overwhelming, and then when he looked into those steel grey eyes, he knew- he fucking knew that there was no turning back. He couldn't have loved Kuna like this

Couldn't have loved every single part of her as he felt like he did with Byakuya.

The thought was so profound, so earth shatteringly scary, that Renji got lost in those eyes. Those eyes that were always so guarded, and non expressive, but showed him the world at that moment. 

Showed him love.

Real love.

And so he made love to Byakuya against the wall of his living room, pouring all the love, desire, passion and obsessions for the man he loved in each stroke, each caress, each kiss and lick. With each gaze and moan, and everything that was him. 

He gave himself to Byakuya as they fell over the precipice of pleasure in each other's arms.

 -------

The cuddling was definitely great too. Like how Byakuya just fit perfectly in his arms as they slept. The way he could bury his face in the jet black locks and inhale that heady sweet scent of flowers on him.

They were chest to chest, Renji's right arm cradling Byakuyas head and Byakuya's arms around his neck. 

The sun shone through the curtains and once more Renji had the chance to see that uninhibited look on Byakuya's beautiful face. He looked so young and innocent.

Which in a sense, he was. Byakuya was surprisingly shy; he was not one to express his personal feelings well.

But Renji didn't mind. He liked trying to guess, to figure out what he was thinking, what his micro expressions meant. The only times Byakuya was ever very expressive was when he was drunk or having sex; which unfortunately couldn't happen all the time. So Renji gladly deciphered his meaning on many occasions. 

Which he was fine with, honestly. He loves Byakuya as he was.

And so he needed to figure himself out. Byakuya was one he'll of a catch, as Ike had put out. And he already had that blue haired fool trying to take him away.

He needed to get over himself; figure out if he could get over the whole being Gay thing and move on and actually be in a relationship with Byakuya.

Because he sure as hell wanted to wake up with him in his arms like this every morning. Fall asleep together every night. Go to work together. Go to the movies or do some random shit; make love as much as possible. 

He wanted it all.

He wanted to know more about Byakuya, how he grew up, what his  plans for the future are, his favorite things. He wanted to know everything.

But he had to figure himself out first; he knew he was being an ass but he was really struggling with the whole thing.

He sighed and shifted gently, tucking a stray lock of inky black hair behind his lovers ear.

 Grey eyes opened up, clear as day and utterly bewildered for a moment.

"Morning love" Renji said and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. 

"Renji, you stayed." He sounded content; warm and affectionate. Renji had never experienced that tone from him. He liked it.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" He asked and placed another kiss on his forehead.

A pause.

"Well- I- do you suppose we can have a conversation, Renji?" He said, the warmth in his voice disappearing as a mask of nonchalance seemed to grace his face. 

Renji sighed. So it was crunch time. 

"Sure. What's up?"

Another pause as he gathered his thoughts. 

"I want to know what- how can I define our current~ situation?" He said. 

In non Byakuya words, it was the dreaded 'what are we'question. 

 Well, he had no fucking idea. 

"Fuck if I know baby. All I know is I like spending time with you and shit."

"So do you wIsh to continue to spend time with me?"

"Of course!"

"I would just like to know what you think of me- of us."

Renji knew that he had to answer carefully; not that he wasn't expecting this. Just that he wasn't expecting to talk about this in the morning when his head was swimming in a happy post-amazing sex haze.

 "Uh...well. I guess....it's obvious you know that I like you, right? And I am clearly attracted to you." He started, unsure of what exactly he wanted to say.

Byakuya nodded.

"I enjoy spending time with you, babe." He kissed the top of Byakuya's head, hoping to end it at that note.

But clearly Byakuya was not satisfied with the answer so he pulled away from Renji's embrace with a slight frown.

"I mean to say, Renji, that are we in a relationship?"

"Like, you want to be my b....my lover." Renji said and Byakuya nodded.

He scratched his head. 

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Like....being with you....it's and huge step for me. Can you give me time then, babe? To figure myself out? I still wanna see you and hang out. And do couple stuff and shit, but....can we not label it yet? I need to figure the shit out within myself."

He regarded his lover apprehensive lyrics, hoping that his request would be accepted. 

And Byakuya's face softened a great deal, an almost smile gracing his face. Lovely.

"Alright. I can do that. Just please don't ignore me anymore. I miss you" He said almost whiningly, and Renji laughed at the absurdity of  Byakuya whining. So fucking adorable.

He embraced his lover again, planting kisses on his head as they snuggled up together.

"So is Ichigo still making those bomb ass pancakes?"

He could feel the warmth of the smile that curved his face as he responded.

"He makes waffles now and they're even better."

_____________________

Byakuya did not expect to find his father sitting at the table with a nervous Ichigo, an uncharacteristically quiet Kisuke and Yoruichi, and a a very anxious looking Rukia.

And what made it worse was that Byakuya had walked in with his back towards them, unaware of their presence just as Renji's hands wère sliding up under his t-shirt and they made out quite ardently as they walked. 

"Sexy Kuya" Renji had mumbled against his lips and Byakuya had proceeded to devour Renji's mouth at that moment.

They probably would have gone even further had it not been for the soft cough that alerted them of their presence. Byakuya was sure that his face was as red as a beet.

"Father" He said, crossing his arms and bowing slightly at the old stern man.

Kuchiki Ginrei was an intimidating old man. Where Byakuya was stern, he was rigid. Where Byakuya was stoic, he was almost robotic. Where Byakuya was cold, he was liquid nitrogen. 

He was not very tall, but his beard and hair were long. He tied it gently behind him, and donned some old school casual Japanese wear. He was a very traditional type of man.

And so, for the first time in years, Byakuya was afraid.

Afraid for Renji who would be the subject of his father's wrath. That his own son should be cavorting around with another man was one thing, but a "thug" was even twice as bad.

"Byakuya." He said icily and stood up, heading out into the living room without a glance towards Renji

 Byakuya sighed. 

"Holy shit. That your dad?" Renji asked, and Byakuya's heart skipped a beat. Did he know Ginrei Kuckhiki's face?!? 

"Yes."

"Fuck. Does he know youre... that we're..?"

"No to both."

"Fuck. You about to be in big trouble then?"

"Yes."

Renji scratched his head and sighed heavily. Then took a step towards Byakuya and kissed him on his lips gently.

"If you need me I'm here eating pancakes alright?"

Byakuya felt warmed by the compliment despite the feeling of impending Doom settling low in his gut.

He followed his father into the living room.

\------------

Ikkaku was laughing like a madman on the phone and it was grating over Yumichika at that moment. He was nursing a bad hangover.

"Babe, can you keep it down please? I'm trying to relax!" He said and adjusted the face pack he had put on. Byakuya had given him a set of packs that he used because Yumichika was so jealous of that porcelain skin. 

But then Ikkaku was being a loud ass over the phone.

With Yoruichi.

The name just brought a sour taste to his mouth honestly.

She was absolutely gorgeous. And confident. And a woman.

The last thing was what irked him. 

Ikkaku was bisexual as fuck and preferred women. So it had taken Yumi a loooooot of groundwork to get this guy.

But here Yoruichi comes and starts talking to his man. 

And Ikkaku was more than happy to exchange numbers and shit. And talk over the phone every day.

Like what the fuck did they have in common anyway?

And then to top it off last night after Renji left, Yoruichi had popped up- with that other guy who kept trying to get with Yumichika but he just wasn't His type- and Ikkaku had let on that he'd invited her there.

Honestly, Yumi did not like this AT ALL. And he was ready to talk to Yoruichi and tell her to stay the hell away from his man. 

Ikkaku burst into laughter again, jostling their bed as Yumichika tried to settle down once more. He became irate.

"Fuck! Ike come on!" He snapped and grabbed the phone out of his hand, and then proceeded to hurl it against the wall.

"WHAT THE FUCK. BABE!" He said and scrambled up to check out the damage. His whole screen was completely cracked. He cursed and Yumi sat back, smugly. It would be a while before Yoruichi could call or text him.

"Are you out of your fucking mind? What's the matter with you?"

"Sorry baby. My hand kind of slipped. I was just going to put it on the night stand" He said innocently.

Ikkaku cursed again.

"You're fucking insane, you know that? I don't even know why I'm still with you" He mumbled and Yumi felt the jab of the comment. He stood up and ripped the pack off his face.

"Wow. WOW. YOU don't know why YOU'RE still with me. Ok. Cool. I'll make it easy for you then. Why don't I leave and you can invite Yoruichi here in my place? You seem to be getting a right hard on for her!" He said and grabbed his duffel bag.

"Babe, wait no. I didn't mean it like that-"

"Yes you did! So shut the fuck up and leave me alone."

"You're just being dramatic like you always are. Chill out, and don't PMS like and ND bitch alright."

"Excuse me? I think you must be mistaken about something, Ike. I'm not a woman. Or maybe you wish I was?"

"That's fresh coming from you. Out here wearing yoga pants and flaunting your ass around all over the place."

"You said you liked it when I wore yoga pants!"

"That's not the point. All I'm saying is that you attract a lot of attention from guys and you flirt and I don't like it, and you know that. But when I have a good looking friend, that's a problem for you."

"Well, you don't see me talking on the phone daily with these guys do you?"

"No, but-" 

"And don't lie to me and tell me that you're not attracted to Yoruichi one bit. That you haven't fantasized about fucking her more than once."

Ikkaku paused and it made Yumichika even more angry, to the point where he started to feel hot tears fall down his face. He was the type to cry when he was angry and well, that was usually the tipping point for him.

"I can't lie to you, babe." Ikkaku responded and Yumi growled angrily. "But you can't say that you haven't felt that way for Renji before!"

"No I haven't! He's like a brother to me and the thought has never crossed my mind. And besides there's a huge difference here- Renji and I have been friends for years. You JUST met that bitch the other day! And suddenly you're best friends?" The tears were streaming non stop as Yumi frantically wiped them off. 

Ikkaku frowned, his eyes brows dipping in concentration and Yumi had to fight the urge to press his finger in between them to ease the wrinkles like he usually did. Fighting sucked.

"Look babe, I love you. You have to know that."

"That doesn't solve anything! I need to know if you're gonna stop talking to that bitch."

Another pause.

"Well?"

"Let me think ov-"

 "Bye." He said and grabbed his shit, stormed  out of the apartment in a fit of anger as Ikkaku tried to run after him.

As tears streamed down his face, Yumi took out his phone and called the one person he had gotten close to, whom he seemed to trust even more than Renji. 

After two rings, the clipped and cold "hello" warmed Yumi's heart.

"Bya~" he said and sobbed heavily into the phone, the anger turning into grief as he recalled the whole conversation.

"Aya, what's the matter?" The slight change in tone was evident to yumi and he smiled as he sobbed.

"Where are you? Are you home?"

"Yes. Renji is here too."

"I'm coming over. In like 30 minutes."

"Alright, I'm here." Was the soft response and The line cut.

Yumi sniffles hard, ordered an über and sat down, crying loudly on the bench in the middle of the day.

 

 


End file.
